


The Purloined Prince: Sequel To Impossible Love

by MistakenAngel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A Very Potter Sequel, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Good Slytherins, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Slytherin Pride, Slytherins Being Slytherins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:21:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 60,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29737263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistakenAngel/pseuds/MistakenAngel
Summary: Sebastian Prince has been raised apart from his half-brother Harry Potter, and they live as complete polar opposites in the wizarding world. When Harry Potter suddenly arrives for his first year at Hogwarts, the two half siblings meet, and are forced to work together in order to defeat Lord Voldemort. But can they get over the dark past of their family in order to form an alliance?Well, read and find out, folks! As always, your votes and comments are much appreciated! ☺👍💕
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Sebastian

The black Lincoln limousine dropped me and Draco Malfoy off at King's Cross station, and I had no choice but to accompany my godbrother to Hogwarts for his first trip over there. He seemed jumpy and excited, and I would be returning for my fourth year. In all honesty, I wished that Uncle Lucius would have just let us apparate over to Hogwarts, and save us the scenic route, but what the hell, at least I would get to hang out with my Quidditch friends, and see if I would be staying on as one of the Keepers. 

  
Draco kept tugging on my arm, and wanting to see everything as we pushed our train carts along. We got to the ninth platform, and found the portal.

"Is it really through that wall, Bastian?" Draco asked curiously.

"Yeah, all you do is walk towards it," I explained. "It will take you on to the platform just as quickly as apparating there."

Draco tried to put on a brave face, but I could tell he was still nervous. "Could, we um, go together?"

I shrugged, "Sure. Let's go."

We jogged towards the portal, and it let us through. Normally, my Aunt and Uncle would have been there to see Draco off, but Narcissa had a society engagement to attend, and Lucius had to be called in to work, so that just left me. I kind of resented being put on babysitter duty, but Draco was a cool kid, and we got along better than we let on to everyone else. Hell, we could be brothers, were it not for the fact that we had different parents, and my dad was a Professor at Hogwarts.

"Just give your stuff to the porters," I explained, "and they'll handle the rest. You know, just like any trip, just without the house elves."

Draco laughed, "I wish we had our house elves. It's like so demeaning to carry our own shit on to the train like this."

I laughed, "Yeah, well, it is, but I suppose this is all about roughing it, I suppose." I heard my teammates calling to me, and I added, "Listen, I have to talk with my teammates, alright? But you're trying out this year, right? Slytherin could always use a good Seeker."

Draco brightened up, "You bet I will. I can't wait to win some trophies to outshine yours."

I tousled his platinum blonde hair, "That's my little brother. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, you bet," Draco said, as we parted and I talked a while with the Slytherin Quidditch team. I was just about to board the train when a bushy haired, brunette girl tripped over herself and knocked into me.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I..." She said, and as I helped her up our eyes met. She blushed, and I must have looked shell shocked, because we were both staring at each other. I closed my eyes for a moment, and the sight conveniently decided to reveal some things to me I did not want to see regarding her: dates, kisses by the black lake, a winter dance. I opened my eyes and saw that she had books scattered everywhere.

"Can I help you pick up your things, Miss?" I asked politely.

She blushed, and asked, "You're a Slytherin, though. Your House isn't known for generosity, unless there is something they want in return."

I chuckled at that, and helped her pick up her books. "Yes, well, you'll never know, will you?" I winked. I perused the last title, "Potions making book five. Impressive. Do you enjoy potions then, Miss Curly?"

She scowled up at me, and snatched the book away from me, "Not particularly, but I like to be well versed in what I am studying. I'm Hermione Granger by the way, and you are?"

I flashed her my most winning smile, and kissed her hand, "Sebastian Prince, at your service, Miss. Granger. Is Granger a common wizarding surname? I am not familiar with it."

She blushed with embarrassment, as we boarded the Hogwarts Express. "No...I'm a muggleborn."

I whispered in her ear, "My mother was too. There, now you know a secret about me that very few people know. Now, tell me a secret few people know about you, Miss. Granger."

She stepped away from me, putting distance between us. "I like glazed doughnuts far more than I should. My parents are dentists, and have tried to curb my love of sweets, but to no avail. Are you fond of sweets, Mr. Prince?"

I winked, and said, "Obviously. Well, I have to go to my part of the train. Unless you have no seat. I will be sitting towards the back."

I left her standing there, and sat with my friends, but as they prattled endlessly about Quidditch, and nothing else, I began to let the sight take over my hands, and sketch out my new friend. My mind went into its trance-like state as I sketched every detail of her adult face. The bushy hair smoothing to waves, the awkward child figure curving to a slender figure that any wizard would love to touch.

Why her, though? Who would Miss. Granger be to me? I certainly never sketched out my very brief past girlfriends. I finished off my charcoal sketch, and set it aside. I went into the bathroom and washed the charcoal off of my hands. I then started to study up on herbology, and talked about the coming school year.

Draco came in, and people started to talk about the new kid Harry Potter.

"Whatchoo hear, Draco?" Crabbe asked. _Oh, great, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum have arrived._ I knew they weren't technically my cousin's friends, Crabbe and Goyle, but they seemed to fear me, and worship the ground Draco walked on for some reason. Whatever.

"Yeah, whatcha hear?" Goyle chimed in. Goyle noticed me and started stammering, "H-hey, Bastian."

"Hi guys," I said casually. "What's this about Harry Potter?"

Draco smirked, "Oh, nothing much, just that everyone thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. I think he got off easy not being killed by the Dark Lord, and all, but hey, one less mudblood in the world, know what I mean?"

Dad told me to never lose my cool when it came to my mother being mentioned as a mudblood, because of his cover as a spy, but sometimes, just sometimes, it was damned hard to keep myself in check. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and agreed, "Yeah, sure. Are you going to offer an alliance?"

Draco nodded, "Yep, and if he doesn't take it, well, it's his loss, isn't it?"

I hugged my cousin, "Well, you've always got me, bro. I mean, I share blood with the kid, but yeah, offer it, but if he's too dumb to take it, no harm no foul."

Draco agreed, "Exactly. I'm only doing it cause' he's your half brother. If he wasn't, I couldn't care less."

I knew that wasn't completely true, but I let my cousin believe it in any case. We talked about other things, and changed into our uniforms. Draco and I did our secret handshake, and parted. He went to the boats, and I went to go wait for the horseless carriages. I knew they were actually drawn by thestrals, skeletal winged horses who can only be seen by those who have known someone who has died. In my case, it was my mother and sister Rose, who I lost when I was four years old.

I remember them both, and it was why in my first year that I tried to get my father's help in making Dreamless Sleep, a potion that does exactly what it says. But some of the ingredients are illegal, and the potion difficult in itself to make, and disastrous should you get it wrong. But last summer, I managed to make it successfully, and haven't had any dreams since...so long as I take the potion, of course.

Of course, I made it on time to the Great Hall, and everyone seemed intrigued by what House Harry Potter was going to be sorted into. He got sorted into Gryffindor, as I suspected he would, since he never once sat in the back of the train with us so called snakes.

When the feast was over, I glanced over at Hermione Granger and she glanced back nervously. Harry caught her looking at me, and he looked over at me nervously. I nodded my head, and as the Great Hall emptied of staff and students, I slipped him a note: _Sit in the back with me during transfiguration, there are some things we need to discuss..brother. --SP_

 _'_ Brother?!' He mouthed at me.

  
I nodded, and made my way to the Slytherin common room without giving him time to ruminate over what I said. I got ready for bed that first night, and wondered just how much to tell Harry about the skeletons lurking in his family closet. I then decided that he would find out eventually and just decided to sleep on it in the mean time. I had classes to get to, and I wasn't going to be late for my first day back...


	2. Chapter 2

Harry

I overslept the night before. I looked over the flowing script handwriting of Sebastian Prince, and just couldn't picture me and him related in any way. I mean, sure, we both have black hair, but he has crazy good hair, and girls seem to flock to him like crazy. But me? Who am I but some awkward kid? I threw on my Gryffindor robes after foregoing a shower, and brushed my teeth instead.

Ron Weasley, that ginger haired kid who sat in my train cabin was already scrambling to get ready, and grabbing his books, and other things. "Come on, mate! He said hurriedly, "McGonagoll is gonna be so mad if we show up late."

I almost laughed. We tried finding the transfiguration room, but got lost and turned around three times before I shyly asked a pretty blonde Ravenclaw girl where the classroom was.

"Oh! It's like two doors to your left there," The pretty girl said in a dreamy voice, "Watch out for wrackspurts, guys."

"Um, okay. I'm Harry, by the way," I said awkwardly. I stuck out my hand. 

"Luna Lovegood," She said, shaking my hand, "And everyone who is everyone knows who you are, Harry Potter. And you must be a Weasley."

Ron blushed, and stammered, "Uh yeah, um...yeah...I'm Ron."

Luna smiled warmly at him, "I'll see you guys around. I'm late for herbology."

We finally found the classroom in question, and everyone was copying down notes off of the chalkboard, and where the teacher would usually sit was a gray and black cat. 

Ron breathed out a sigh of relief, "We made it! Can you imagine the look on McGonagoll's face if we were late?"

Suddenly, the black and gray cat transformed itself into McGonagoll, revealing itself to be an animagus. She looked down at us with a stern face. "You are very late, Mr. Weasely, and Mr. Potter. Care to explain the reason or reasons?" She asked.

I wanted to hide in a dark hole when her green eyes fell on me, but I had to save the day since I discovered how fearful Ron was: "Umm, it's my fault, Professor. We were so excited for the new school day, and barely slept."

She turned her gaze on me, and I looked back up at her, unafraid. "Well, perhaps I should transfigure one of you into a pocketwatch, that way one of you will be on time. Or perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats," She said.

I saw Sebastian gesturing me over to his table and Ron scowled at him. "I...I kind of agreed to sit with him this period," I said. "Something about knowing some family stuff or whatever."

Ron whispered in my ear, "Just be careful, mate. The older kids say he's like real close with the Malfoys."

"I'll be careful," I said, and I made my way to the back of the class, and sat down next to Sebastian. He wordlessly passed me his finished notes, and then he passed me a little black leather journal.

"What's this for?" I asked, tapping the journal.

"It's a note journal," Sebastian explained in low tones, "We can write messages to each other only we can read. For an example, open up your book."

"Why?" I asked warily.  
Sebastian grinned, "You shouldn't believe every little rumor you hear, Harry. Just do it."

I did, and Sebastian opened up his journal. Flowing script began entering itself on to a page in my book: _I'm your half brother, Harry. We had the same mother._

Me: _If we don't have the same dad, who is he?_

Sebastian : _You will find out soon enough. I thought my looks gave it away already though. I'm told our resemblances are uncanny._

Me: _That's cryptic. You sure you're not lying about the brother thing?_

Sebastian slid me a picture, and it was of my mother holding me as a baby in the hospital, surrounded by my father, and his friends. I stared at it for a long time. My mom seemed exhausted but happy, but my dad looked tense in the picture.

Me: _Where are you in this?_

Sebastian: _In the other part of the hospital room. I was four at the time, and didn't want to be there, but seeing as you were just born, I had no choice but to be there._

McGonagoll eyed us sharply, and Sebastian tucked his book out of the way into his bookbag. I did the same, and concentrated on writing down the notes of her lecture that I missed. 

Ron and Hermione found me, and she said, "Well, we have potions next. Do we have that class with you too, Mr. Prince?"

Sebastian grinned, "Yep. But I have to sit with the other Slytherins for that. Don't be late for it, Professor Snape is even more strict than McGonagoll about tardiness."

"I'll remember that."  
"See you later, guys," Sebastian said, and met up with his friends, but before he ran off, I caught him winking at Hermione. 

She winked back, and there was a flush to her cheeks. When she caught us looking she said, "What?!"

We both shrugged our shoulders, and made our way down to the dungeons. The potions classroom was dimly lit, and foreboding in its ambiance. Large worktables with cauldrons, and all manner of potions ingredients were lined up on shelves along the walls, neatly labeled in a spidery script that said what was in the jars. Everyone sat on flat stools, and looked to the front of the classroom where an ornate, gothic desk sat beside a large black board. 

From a door at the farthest end of the classroom a tall, imposing wizard dressed in black robes burst through, and he said in a dark velvety voice, "There will be no silly wand waving or incantations in this classroom. As such, I do not expect all of you to appreciate the subtle art form that is potion making. But for those select few," He paused for dramatic effect, his black eyes boring into everyone seated before him, "Who possess the predisposition. I can teach you to bewitch the mind, and ensnare the senses. I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper..in death. Then again, some of you have come to Hogwarts with abilities so extraordinary that it warrants the need to Not. Pay. Attention."

Ron was looking at this stark faced, intimidating wizard with fear, but other students were enraptured by the performance. I tried to copy down his words, and the Professor noticed, because he strolled right up to me, and startled me by saying, "Mr. Potter. Our new celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I mixed wolfsbane with an infusion of asphodel?"

"I don't know, sir," I admitted lamely. Hermione, of course, shot her hand up and was muttering, "I know! I know."

The Professor ignored her, and focused directly on me. "You don't know? Well, let's try this again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look, if I asked you to bring me a bezoar?"

Hermione still had her hand up, but I felt really ashamed when I said, "I...I don't know sir."

He lifted an eyebrow at that, but I could swear that I saw a hint of amusement in his face when he said sarcastically, "Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?"

I caught Malfoy smirking at me, and then I caught Sebastian quirk his lips in an identical smirk to the Professor's, and my blood ran cold. No, it just couldn't be! If he really was my half brother, what the heck did my mother see in such an intimidating, cold wizard? 

"Due to the class's ignorance on this subject, I demand three rolls of parchment on the application of wolfsbane and asphodel to be turned in on my desk no later than Friday," The potions master ordered, and wrote the page numbers for where the information could be found in our potions text book. 

When class was over, I gathered up my things, and filed out of the door, but then noticed that Sebastian didn't leave. When they were alone, I caught the Professor drop his cold facade, and hug him. 

Hermione caught me, and whispered in my ear about charms class, but I pointed at the exchange between the dour Professor and Sebastian Prince. 

"...I'm sure that he's using unicorn's blood, dad," Sebastian remarked somewhat sternly. "But unless I'm able to go investigate with Hagrid, I can't be sure."

"Do you know who he could be using as a host?" Professor Snape asked, "You're the one with the sight and parselmouth abilities, not me."

Sebastian laughed, "Yeah well, it's not like Hogwarts has a lot of snakes wandering around, the acromantulas love to snack on them. And the sight? It's not like it's a reliable thing. I'm not freaking Professor Trelawny."

To my shock, Snape laughed, "Thank the gods for that. But stay close to Potter. If he is anything like his father, he will give us no hint of trouble."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, getting annoyed, "Yes, _dad_. I already agreed to keep an eye out for him. Draco would have too if the Weasely's hadn't spouted their stupid hick pity party propaganda at him beforehand."

My blood boiled at that, and decided to turn away. How the hell could he have said that about my friends?? I stalked away from the door, and walked to charms class alone, despite Hermione's efforts to keep up with me. I had a feeling that I was being left out of what was really going on at Hogwarts, and I would find out what it was, rules or no rules, I decided that first day. I just had no idea just how deep the rabbit hole went at the time...


	3. Chapter 3

Sebastian 

I had a bad feeling about this Halloween, and it all centered on my investigation of Professor Quirrel. He had always been squirrelly and spoke with a stutter, but he couldn't stand to touch me, and that was interesting to me. I had heard through the grape vine that he couldn't touch my brother either, and I knew it was because of mom. She died to protect us both, rather than allow Harry to be killed to be with dad. 

We were all sitting at the Halloween feast when Quirrel ran through the doors of the Great Hall, and screamed, TROLL!! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! Thought you ought to know.." His eyes rolled in the back of his head, and he fainted in the center aisle. 

I honestly sometimes wished that I didn't inherit my father's gift for legilimency, because I caught his thoughts on him somehow luring a mountain troll into the dungeon and setting it loose to kill my brother. I looked up at my father and asked mentally, " _Did you catch what psycho planned?"_

_"Yes. I will handle the godsdamned dog,"_ Dad said, rushing for the exit, " _Meanwhile, you are to protect your brother. Understand?"_

" _Yes, father,"_ I said. I hated not being completely included, but it was part of my father's cover to not rely too much on others in order to spy for Dumbledore.

Dumbledore ordered all of the students to their common rooms, but I had a feeling that Potter and his friends wouldn't be among the Gryffindors. I spotted Weasely and my brother run into the third floor girl's bathroom, and I followed them inside.

"What do _you_ want?" Weasely asked accusingly. 

"Relax, Weasley, I'm here on orders," I said, but before he could say something ignorant, the troll the teachers were looking for, burst in, and I whipped out my wand, which looked exactly like my father's, and I stood in front of my brother, shielding him. 

Hermione screamed as the troll swung his club into the bathroom stalls. I put up shield charms against the debris hitting us, and Ron shouted, "Well, aren't you gonna do something, teacher boy?"

I grinned, and stopped the rocks from hitting us, and turned them around on the creature. The troll bellowed and charged towards Harry. "Incarerous!" I cast with my wand.

Ropes tied around the troll, and fastened themselves to its brawny arms and legs, but the troll quickly freed itself.

"Any other bright ideas, rube?" I shot back for the slight to my father. 

"Yeah, you're a foul git."  
"It's better than being an inbred rube," I shot back. "Now, get my brother out of here, Weasley."

"What about Hermione?"  
"She'll be fine without _your_ help," I shouted over the noise of the beast wrecking havoc on the stone walls, and bathroom stalls. Water from the sinks and toilets was spewing from all directions, soaking us all to the bone. 

Just as I was about to find Hermione, the troll grabbed me, and I made the troll drop me by casting the langlock curse on it. The troll's mouth seized up, and his throat closed up and began to choke up as a result. 

The beast dropped me, and I somesaulted as my body met the hard stone floor. I jumped back up, and crouched to find Hermione Granger underneath one of the stalls. I held out my hand, and she took it. 

She had a nasty cut on the left side of her head, but wiped at it absentmindedly as if seeing blood was an everyday occurrence for her. Ron saved Harry by using the wingardiam leviosa charm, and knocked the troll out with its club. 

Harry went tumbling out of the troll's hand and I cast with my wand, "Arresto momentum."

Harry's body floated a foot off of the ground before I gently flicked my wand to set him on the ground, and released the spell. I held out my hand, and Harry took it. "Thanks," He said.

I shrugged, "What are brothers for after all? You would do the same for me." 

Harry looked at me awkwardly, and nodded, "Yeah, I guess. Thanks anyway."

"Don't mention it," I said, and went over to Hermione, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, and then shook her head, and began to cry. I don't know why I hugged her in that moment, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time. "Hey, hey," I soothed, "It will be okay."

She grabbed at my robes and buried her face in my dirty uniform cardigan. I ran a hand through her soft, frizzy wavy hair, and held her close. She soaked my cardigan with her tears, but I didn't care. 

McGonagoll and my father arrived, and they assessed the situation. My father eyed me comforting Miss. Granger, and I mouthed 'I will tell you later.' He nodded imperceptibly, and McGonagoll demanded explanations from my brother and Weasley. 

"Well, see the thing is," Harry began, and started to lie, but Hermione lifted her head from my shirt, and said, "It's my fault, Professor."

"Yours, Miss. Granger?" My father asked pointedly. "Do explain."

"I went looking for the troll," She lied smoothly, "I read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Sebastian and my friends had not followed me, I would probably be dead."

"Oh, be that as it may," McGonagoll said sternly, her face creased with concern, "It was seriously bad judgment on your parts to take out a fully grown mountain troll. Thank goodness, Mr. Prince was there to help you this time around. Five points will be awarded to each of you for sheer dumb luck. Now, return to your common rooms, all of you."

  
I watched my brother and his friends leave, and my father turned to me, "Now, what really happened, son? The truth."

I told him the whole story leaving nothing out, and I shrugged my shoulders when I was asked about Miss. Granger hugging me. "Well, I for one do not approve," Professor McGonagoll quipped.

"Oh, please. She's only three years younger than me," I pointed out. "That's not a huge age gap, Professor. Besides, I'm not interested in her like that. I just saved her life, and she was grateful."

McGonagoll nodded, understanding, "Well, I am relieved by that. Severus, do you want to kill the troll, or should I?"

My father shrugged, and cast with his wand, "Avada Kedavra."

Green magic shot out from my father's wand, and the troll's breathing immediately stilled.

"Incendio," I cast with my wand, burning the troll's remains, and I left the bathroom before I could be questioned further. I stormed into my dorm and threw a paperback book against the wall. What right?! What damn right was it of that nosy old witch to question my worthiness to be friends with Hermione Granger?! I saved her life, and this is the thanks I get? I stripped off my uniform, and threw it angrily into the hamper.

I turned on the shower, and just let the near scalding water wash over my naked body. I rested my hands against the jade green marble, and rested my forehead against the wall, not knowing I was crying until I got out of the shower to brush my teeth and shave. I turned off the shower, and ran through my bedroom routine like a zombie on autopilot.

I got into bed naked, not caring about the coldness of the dungeons making my skin break out in goose bumps. I laced my fingers behind my head, and ran over the events of the night: father went to protect the sorcerer's stone, and Quirrel, somehow, was able to foil the wards around Hogwarts to allow a mountain troll into the dungeons. The troll wrecks havoc in the school, and Quirrel purposely causes a panic in the student body, and somehow Hermione Granger needed time away from her friends. I had no time to ask her about why she needed to be away from her friends, but I would endeavor to find out soon.

Dad and I notice that more and more unicorns are dying, and Hagrid, the game keeper is investigating. I'm certain that if I were able to go with him, I would find out some more clues to decode these strange events surrounding Hogwarts. Hmm...perhaps I can go make out with some random witch after hours to get the necessary detention. I grinned. Yes, that was the solution. I thought of how to implement my plan, but then saw that Draco did all the dirty work by tattletaling on Potter and Weasely two weeks later as I surveilanced them as per my father's orders...


	4. Chapter 4

Sebastian

I noticed my brother and his friends coming back from Hagrid's hut on the grounds of the school, and so I dragged my witch into a corridor, and pressed her against the wall. 

She giggled as I kissed along her neck and held her arms above her head, to run my hand underneath her shirt to cup one of her breasts, teasing her nipple with my thumb and index finger. "Mmm, please Bastian...Please screw me..." The blonde Hufflepuff witch panted.

"Shhh," I soothed, kissing her and cupping her nice rear end so she was grinding against me slightly. I kissed her some more, and saw Professor McGonagoll catch me.

"Mr. Prince, Miss. Matthews! I am most shocked to see this!" The older witch exclaimed. I jumped back, feigning embarrassment. The cute blonde witch looked like she was about to cry in McGonagoll's presence.

"Sorry, Professor McGonagoll," We both murmured, looking downcast. 

"Mr. Prince, since Harry Potter and his friends are already in my office, you may serve detention with them. Miss. Matthews, I will send you to Professor Sprout for your detention. Fifty points from both Slytherin and Hufflepuff for this sordid affair."

"That's not fair, Professor!" Bree exclaimed in shock. "All me and Bastian were doing was snogging."

McGonagoll pinched the bridge of her nose, and glared at the girl, "Would you like to try for more points from your House, Miss. Matthews?"

Tears filled her light blue eyes, "I...No, Professor. No, I would not."

"Good, now get to your common room immediately," McGonagoll barked, making the witch flee in terror. 

When we were alone, McGonagoll sighed wearily, and asked, "Exactly what was the point of that obscene display, Mr. Prince?"

"I heard that Hagrid is going to be investigating the cause of all of the disappearing unicorns," I answered, giving nothing away of my inner emotions. "And it just so happens that my brother, godbrother, and his idiot friend Weasley are going to be joining Hagrid tonight for their detention."

McGonagoll looked surprised, "And you wanted to secure a detention to tag along with them."

"Yes, of course," I explained, "The girl was a diversion. A pleasant one, but a diversion nonetheless."

The Head of Gryffindor House was nodding her head, and then she nodded, understanding, "Nevertheless, it is still a detention. I will tell your father that he asks too much of you, Sebastian."

I shrugged my shoulders, "He's busy with deatheater meetings, so why not use me? It's true that I am a student, but I have been keeping tabs on all of the children of these deatheaters for four years now. I have quite the collection of files that I only share with him."

She looked disturbed by this news, but only said, "You're too young to be burdened with these concerns, in my opinion, and your mother would no doubt agree with me were she alive. But come, we shouldn't keep Potter and everyone waiting."

I walked beside the elderly witch, and Draco came up to me, and said, "You've got detention too? How, man? You're like teacher's pet and all."

I grinned, and whispered in his ear about Bree Matthews of Hufflepuff. Weasely and my brother glared at us for being left out. Draco giggled, "Ah, man, she's cute. How far did you get?"

"About an inch from the knickers, and a handful of boob," I reported, "She was like begging me for more."

"Eww, dude," Weasley groaned, "Must you talk about girls like that?"

"Oh, I didn't know you were a homo, Weaselby," Draco teased, "Some of us actually like witches for more than just copying off their work."

"You take that back, Malfoy!"  
"Boys!" McGonagoll cut in sharply. "Now, you will be going into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid for your detention. I expect all of you to behave yourselves."

Harry hanged back as we walked down to Hagrid's hut, and he asked, "Were you really caught making out by McGonagoll?"

I grinned, and said, "Yeah, I sure was. Just keep close to Draco and your friend. I'm here for an entirely different purpose."

My brother's eyes widened, "Wait, you _meant_ to have detention? What's this all about?"

I debated whether or not to tell my brother, but decided to play this as close to the chest as possible, "If I'm wrong, you won't find out, but if I am, well, then you'll know. I'm sorry, I can't talk about it," 

He scowled at me, but accepted my cryptic answer. The half giant was talking with Filch, the old creepy squib who I've had more than a few late night runs in with over the course of my time here.

He looked me and Harry over, and snorted, "Ha! Yeah, I can see th' resemblance now I see y' two together. Snape his pop too?"

I glared at the presumption, and said, "No, he's not. We're brothers and that's _all_ you need to know, squib."

Weasely looked shocked, and asked, "Harry? When we're you gonna say he's related to you?"

Harry shrugged, "I only just recently found out Ron. We share the same mom, alright?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we cut the Hallmark moment here? We haven't got all night."

Hagrid came out of his hut with Fang, his gray bulldog, and said, "Alright, Prince, you and Harry are with me. Malfoy, you're with Weasely."

Draco put his hands on his hips and said, "Fine! But we're taking Fang with us for...you know, protection and stuff."

Hagrid shrugged, hoisting up his crossbow, "Fine, suit y'self. Just so y'know, he's a bloody coward."

We set off into the woods, and Harry was afraid, but didn't want to show it. I kept my composure, having traversed many of the woods surrounding Malfoy and Prince manor over the years. But I had to remember that Harry lived in the suburbs, and was a city boy at heart. The trails became more twisted and dark as the lights of the castle got dimmer and dimmer. 

I heard a crunching noise, and then a whinny of a horse. "Hagrid," I whispered low. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Hagrid whispered low, "Y'got good ears fer a rich kid."

I drew my wand, and whispered, "I'm going to investigate. You watch over Harry."

"An' I'm th' adult--"  
"Hush!" I hissed low. "And I'm here as my father's eyes. I'm going."

I crept on silent feet along the forest floor, and came to the clearing. Then, I saw what I didn't want to see: a black cloaked figure feeding off of a unicorn. Fuck. I wanted just this once to be wrong in my hypothesis. 

I heard Draco and Ron Weasley scream, which of course drew the attention of the killer.

"Stupify!" I cast with my wand at the figure, but it went for Harry instead. I shielded him, and shouted, "Not on your life, fucker."

Horse hooves, lots of them, and the twanging of an arrow being fired from a bow. A group of centaurs surrounded us, and chased the black cloaked figure away just as it was about to attack me and Harry. 

"Ah, Mr. Prince, Mr. Potter," One of the centaurs greeted us. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine, thanks," I said.   
Hagrid hugged the centaur and said, "This is m' good friend Firenze. I assume y' know Snape's boy, and his brother Harry?"

Firenze studied me and said, "Yes, yes, the resemblances are uncanny. But you have the sight, child. Did you know?"

"Yeah, it's annoying sometimes."  
"I have no doubt."  
"What was that thing?" Harry asked, cutting off what would have been an intriguing conversation. 

"That--" Firenze was about to say.  
"Was the Dark Lord," I interrupted. "I just wanted to be wrong, very wrong about that."

The centaur and half giant stared at me in shock. "You know too much for one of your years," Firenze said, looking concerned.

I smoothed my hair back. "Yes, well, any chance of a normal childhood died when my mother and sister was killed."

A snake slithered by, a king cobra, and it hissed at me: "He has reunited with _her_."

It left me without me saying a word, and Hagrid said, "That was odd, very odd, indeed."

I crouched down by the dead unicorn, and subtly put some of the blood into a potion vial. The unicorn blood looked like silvery sap. I hid it away in my robes quickly as I stood up and examined the body. The unicorn had been a mare, and pregnant. 

A tear welled up in my eyes at the loss of magic I felt at that moment. I wiped it away bitterly, and kept my face impassive. No, it would not do to lose control of my emotions. The attitude of the group was subdued, except for Ron Weasely, who seemed to have no clue why everyone had 'long faces.' We made it back to the hut safely enough, and I went to the dungeons feeling tired, but needing to see if my father was in his quarters.

I knocked on the door, and I heard it unlock. I went inside, and locked it behind me. My father was pouring over old Daily Prophet articles, and it all centered on my mother. I saw that he had been crying, and was somewhat drunk.

"I gather by your long face that what I suspected has come to pass," He said, sipping his firewhisky. 

"Yes. I took a vial of the blood like you asked," I said, taking out the potion vial. He took it from me, and examined it. "I didn't want to involve Draco and my brother, but they had to serve detention, along with the Weasely boy. Draco tattletaled on them, and got in trouble, and I--"

"Secured this little field trip by making out with a witch," My dad surmised. 

I looked downcast, and a bit ashamed, but he just chuckled and said, "Just use the anti-birth charm, son. Last I checked, you're only fourteen, and I doubt even as mature as you are, you are ready to be a father any time soon."

I blushed at that. "Soo, you're not mad at me about that?"

My dad cracked a grin, "No. Should I be? Listen, Sebastian. It is not for me to judge you. I am your father, but I'm also not here to coddle or baby you. If you are deserving of punishment, then of course, you will receive it, but all I ask is that you are responsible."

  
I smiled, and felt better. "You know that I am, dad."

My dad hugged me, and patted my shoulder. "I was right when I told your mother that girls would chase you."

I shrugged, "I'm no player, really. But I think it will be like you and mom, I'll know when I know. Can I ask when you knew?"

My dad drained his glass, and leaned heavily on the mantel of the stone fireplace. He wiped at his tears, and said, "It just...happened over time. I can't explain it any more than that. I always liked your mother ever since we met, but it evolved to love over time."

"Oh. Okay. Um, do you need me to do anything else for a while?" I asked, suddenly uncomfortable with my dad's willingness to open up.

"No. Thank you, son."  
"Night', dad."

We parted then and I went to my dorm room, and slept the sleep of sheer exhaustion for six hours...


	5. Chapter 5

Harry

I did not know what to think of the fancy envelope that was sent to me by Hedwig at first. I knew that it was from Sebastian Prince, but not much else. Ron burst into my bed, excited and jumping up and down. "Wake up, sleepy head! We've got presents under the tree!"

"Presents? I got a card from Hedwig," I said, "Apparently, it's some fancy party being put on by my brother. Did you get an invite?"

Ron scowled, and said, "No, but then, that git wouldn't ever invite me, would he?"

I rolled my eyes at that, "Well, you've kind of been acting a bit mean to him, Ron. Bastian's trying but--"

"He's a snobby pureblood, Harry!" Ron argued. "And he's Professor Snape's _son_. Isn't that kinda weird that that weirdo managed to charm his way into your mum's--"

My anger bubbled over then, and I punched Ron in the face. "He's my _brother_ , Ron! And he's trying to be friendly, but you make it really hard for him. So what if he's Snape's son?! At least he's family, and I'm going to try to get to know him."

Ron rubbed at his jaw, and looked ready to cry. "I'm sorry, Harry. But...but isn't he like a little weird? I mean, there's stuff he keeps from you, mate. And Hermione acts like he can do no wrong like all the other girls around here. What's up with that?"

We went downstairs as we talked, and Hermione had a small crowd of girls hanging around her, eying an identical party invitation. "Oooh, Mione,' you're _soo_ lucky!" Parvati Patil gushed. "The parties the Malfoys put on are like legendary!"

Padma Patil looked up, and saw the invite in my hand, "Hey Harry," She greeted shyly, "Can I be your plus one? Mione's so lucky, being the only Gryffindor girl to go. I've always wanted to see how rich Bastian is."

The invite was written as follows:

_You are hereby invited to attend a Grand Ball in honor of the Christmas holidays_   
_Christmas Eve Night_   
_7:00PM_   
_A Plus One Will Be Allowed_   
_Black Tie Invite Only_   
_Prince Manor,_   
_Berkshire_

We all looked over the fancy script writing, and the girls were arguing over who would get to go with who. There was an attached RSVP note and envelope to be sent off no later than tomorrow. Hermione broke up the crowd, and we went over to the tree. 

Ron was pouting, and Hermione said, "If it makes you feel any better, you can always go with one of the girls, Harry."

"Why not me, Hermione?!" Ron snapped. "Does no one think of me?!"

"Ron, I actually can't take a date," She explained, blushing. "Because Sebastian's already asked me."

This was news! I only now just heard about this party, and it sounded like she knew about it way in advance. "But he's the host!" Ron objected.

"Hey, it was either me, or some pureblood twit Mr. Malfoy was going to force on him," Hermione said, defensively. "Plus, I...Um...I kind of like him. He's really nice, Ron. You need to stop being so close minded."

"Why?!" Ron said angrily, "Why do you like him? Is it because of his hair, or eyes, or that he's one of the most popular guys in school?! I thought that wasn't important to you. I guess I was wrong."

"Ron! It's not...It's not like that!"  
"Yes, it bloody well is and you know it!" Ron shouted, and stormed off. Hermione sank to the couch, and began sobbing. I probably should have gone to confront my friend, but Hermione needed me more.

She rocked back and forth as she cried. I kissed the top of her head, and wondered why my brother was being so mean as to not include Ron at this party.

Hermione was muttering something I couldn't quite make out, and I asked, "What, Mione'? I couldn't catch that."

"I can always ditch Bastian to bring Ron," She repeated herself.

I shook my head, "No, don't do that. I have to see why Bastian's so weird. You go with him to the ball, and I'll bring Ron as my plus one. That way, he gets included, and you don't break off your...whatever is going on between you and him."

Hermione chuckled, wiping at her eyes, "You would really ditch a whole school of girls who are dying to be invited to this party for him?"

"Maybe," I shrugged.   
"That's nice of you, Harry."  
"Are you going to be alright while I talk to him?" I asked.

Hermione nodded, and said, "Yeah, I'm alright. I have to send my reply back to Bastian any way. But thank you for letting me cry, Harry."

I smiled, "Hey, no one messes with my best friend. No one."

I went up to the boys dormitory, and told Ron about my plan, but he refused my offer, "No, no, I just realized that Malfoy will be there, and he's worse of a jerk than Snape's spawn. I know you're trying to help but it's cool, I get it."

"Alright, if you're sure."  
"Yeah, I am. Go."  
"Fine, fine I'm going."

I took out my note journal and wrote that I accepted Sebastian's offer. His note back to me was: _Great! That's awesome. I didn't mean to exclude Ron Weasley, Harry. It's just that I'm really close with the Malfoy's, and they have this bad blood between their two families. Lucius Malfoy has been like a second father to me, and Draco like a brother._

Me: _So why invite Hermione? She's kind of a muggleborn, right?_

Sebastian: _Actually, she is the grand niece of Olivander, the wand maker, so that makes her technically a half blood like me, and my dad, and you, in reality._

I was shocked by that revelation that I didn't write back for a while. Me: _Why doesn't she know?_

Sebastian: _That's up to her parents, but since this is my party, I wouldn't give a damn if she was. Our mother was a muggleborn witch, and so I don't actually feel that same blood prejudice, even though I was raised with it. But Harry, I have to act like I do feel that way when I'm around the Malfoy's. I have to. Do you understand?_

Me: _Not really no._  
Sebastian; _I'm not allowed to say why, but please believe me when I say that it's all an act._

Me: _Okay._  
Sebastian: _Good night, brother._

I sat back, still frustrated. 'Not allowed to say.' Okay, that wasn't the least bit evasive, not at all. I went down to open my presents, and I found a strange package with just my name on it. I saw that it was a cloak, but when I put it on, half of my body disappeared! 

Ron came downstairs to see, and we played with it for a bit before we opened up our other gifts. Mrs. Weasley gave us letter sweaters, and sweets. Hermione gave me a sneakoscope, that reminded me when I forgot something. Sebastian then sent me a small gold box. The one for Hermione was identical. 

I opened mine, and Ron's eyes widened, "Cool! He sent you a time turner! And a note. ' _Use this in great need only.'_ Gods, he even writes like Snape. Why would he need to send you a time turner?"

"I dunno. To be nice?"  
"Slytherins don't do nice, mate."  
"Whatever. I'm getting ready for class," I said, and scooped up Hermione's gift, and put it in with my school stuff. When I was done getting ready for class, I found her in astronomy class, and handed it to her.

Hermione blushed when she saw that my brother also added red chandelier earrings. "Oh, wow...these are...they're real garnets, Harry."

_I thought you might like to wear these for the ball. I wasn't sure if jewelry was your thing or if you even had pierced ears, but I figure you are tired of receiving books for presents._

_Yours, SP_ The note read.

"It looks like he's being a suck up," I observed. 

Hermione scowled, "I think it's sweet of him to think of me for Christmas, Harry. Honestly, not _all_ Slytherins are gits. I'm going to study the Pleiades alone."

"Hermione--"  
"Don't, Harry, just don't."

She packed up her stuff, letting me sit alone at the astronomy table. When classes were over, I tried to apologize to her, but to no avail. Oh well, I would see her at the ball. There was no possible way she was going to avoid me there. Right? How little did I know then, and how little did I know just how different Hermione would become once she learned the truth about her family background....


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione 

When I told my mum and dad about my exciting first year, and about the fancy Christmas ball at Prince Manor in three days, my parents asked to see the invitation. I didn't tell them about the time turner, of course, but I had a feeling that I knew why Sebastian had bought it for me: because he seemed to find me more trustworthy than my friends. 

My parents looked over the invitation, and became deadly serious in the living room. "Hermione, darling, this is going to come as a shock but I knew Mr. Prince's mother," My mum said awkwardly.

My dad looked just as uncomfortable, and he said, "I didn't know the Snapes very well, Minnie. But this is your mother's story to tell. I will just go make some tea."

My mother sat next to me on the couch, and patted my hands gently. "Lily, Sebastian's mother, was one of my best friends at Hogwarts. She was bright, spirited, and very pretty. Most of the guys in our year liked her, and she was fairly popular. Especially, James Potter. He was..."

"Nice?" I prompted.  
My mother shook her head, "No, dear. Obsessed is the word that comes to mind. He bullied poor Severus day after day, and so did his friends. He tried to somehow woo Lily, but her and Sebastian's father were tied at the hip. They had this love that defied all reason, and I didn't understand why."

I knew that I had a potions master named Snape, but I was confused, he didn't seem all that good looking to me. "Wait, are you talking about Professor _Snape_?! He's Sebastian's _father_?"

My mother nodded, "Yes, Hermione. But there is more: I don't know why Lily decided to wed James Potter as a muggle when in the wizarding world she already had a husband, but I can only think it had to do with being pregnant with a child seemingly out of wedlock. But I can tell you that she never loved Potter. In fact, I would say that after that incident one day by the black lake nipped any chances he might have had with her in the bud."

Then my mother did something I never expected her to do: she whipped out a wand, and brought a pensieve over to the coffee table! "Mum! Are both you and dad magical?"

"Yes, but your father is a muggleborn wizard, so we thought it best if you were raised as a muggle," She explained. "Your father was a Ravenclaw, and I was a Gryffindor in school."

I felt instantly relieved! I had true magical blood in my veins through my mother! "Wow! But Uncle Olivander never told me when I bought my wand."

"It's because I asked him not to, dear," My mom answered. "But he was gobsmacked to see you in his shop the day you bought your wand."

My dad had come in with the tea tray, and he set it down on the coffee table. He saw the pensieve and asked, "Are you sure you want to show her, Jean? I doubt even the Potter boy knows just how awful his father was to his mother."

My mom rounded on her husband, "She deserves to know the truth."

My dad put up his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. But sometimes the truth should remain hidden, dear."

"It's okay, dad, I want to see it."  
"Are you sure, Minnie?"  
"Yes."  
"Very well."

My mom pulled out a long memory strand with her wand, and put it into the swirling waters of the pensieve. I stuck my head in, and I saw a pretty auburn haired girl with green eyes, holding hands with a much younger Severus Snape. They were walking towards the black lake, and Lily laughed at something he said. 

"Aww, Sev, you're too funny!" Lily said. "Why on earth would you quote that silly ass Chevy Chase movie?"

Snape shrugged his shoulders, "Because when we have kids, I don't ever want our family holidays to get that crazy."

Lily laughed, "You seem pretty confident I will even let you fuck me to have these hypothetical kids of ours."

Snape laughed, and I then saw what Lily saw in my future potions master. He was...well, quite cute, actually. Not handsome like Sebastian, but charming, but he drew a person in somehow. A wicked glint shone in his black eyes as he paused in his walking, and cupped her behind as he kissed his girlfriend teasingly. 

"Oh, shut up, Lil," He said between kisses, "You know you can't resist me. You want me, admit it."

Lily spread out a picnic blanket from her bookbag by a weeping willow tree, and began taking out wrapped sandwiches, chips, and text books. I smiled at that. Not even Harry liked to make studying fun, but I could see that Snape had always been a bookworm. 

"Ugh, are you going to help, or just stand there looking hot?" Lily chided. Snape had a sketch book in his hands, and was sketching her. 

"I was going to draw you, but whatever," He said, winking. He drew for a few minutes, and then helped his girlfriend with setting things up. Lily opened up some chips, and asked, "Soo, what did you draw?"

My mother stood beside me, and her younger self waved to Lily. Lily waved to the couple, and Snape became guarded and more like how I knew him in school. They talked some, and my mom ran off, but the memory continued from a distance. 

My mom caught sight of Harry's dad, and his friends strolling up as the happy couple were beginning to get into kissing. They taunted them, and a fight broke out between Harry's dad and Snape. Then I watched as Sirius Black held down Harry's mom and James Potter was undoing his pants to assault her! 

My mom ran to get help from Professor McGonagoll and that was when the memory ended. My head came out of the pensieve, and I was so shaken by this revelation that I couldn't think straight for a few minutes. 

"After that day," My mom explained, a bit shaken up by the memory as well, "My friend and Snape became much more serious. They took to wearing matching silver rings, and I could hear them in school discussing things like courtship and marriage. When Lily showed me the ring, she was so ecstatic it really gave me the impression they were engaged. Jon, how did Snape seem to you? You were around him more."

My dad shrugged his shoulders, "He seemed like he was on cloud nine. I didn't know him very well, Lucius Malfoy knew him best, they were as close as brothers. But Minnie, you have to understand that once Lily was killed, he became cold, closed off."

"But what does that have to do with Sebastian?" I asked finally, putting some of the pieces together, "Harry's mom dies, and he becomes the Professor all the kids don't like, I get that. But what about his son, and me?"

My parents looked at me a little bit surprised by my observation. "Your father and I just want you to see something about your friend's past you may not be aware of, honey," My mom said gently. "James Potter was a terrible bully, and I don't know why she later had a baby with him, but I can tell you that it probably was not willingly. We just want you to be careful, that is all that we want." 

I nodded, drinking my tea. "Thank you, mom, dad. But Sebastian has been nothing but kind to me. Can I still go to the Christmas ball?"

My mom hugged me. "Of course you can. We just want you to be careful."

"That's right, Minnie," My dad chimed in. 

"I will, I promise."

I later went up to my room after dinner and wrote to Sebastian about what I learned. He wrote back later, and his letter said:

_Hermione,_

_Your mother's information is correct. I wish that I could tell you that my brother's father was a kind, honorable wizard, but I would be lying. I'm not even sure how much you wish to know, but my parents loved each other deeply, Hermione._

_There are things for reasons of assisting my father, that I cannot tell any one. I would be placing you in more danger than I would be comfortable with if you knew everything I know about this war with the Dark Lord. But please know that I would never knowingly harm you, and you can trust me to be your friend always._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_SP_

_✂-------_

_Sebastian,_

_I trust you, but I know Ron doesn't, and Harry is not sure about you, but I could help you. Can we talk about this at the party?_

_Yours,_

_H_

✂-------

_Hermione,_

_Of course, we can. I am looking forward to it. I will see you then._

_SP_

I left for Prince Manor the next day, and a beautiful, luxurious black limousine pulled up to my parent's driveway. I had packed my school stuff, and other stuff, and said my goodbyes to my parents. When I got into the limo, I was greeted by Sebastian himself.

We hugged each other and began to talk about incidental things. But then we began to talk about family life, he got evasive and tried to change the subject several times.

"But you said that we could talk about this, Bastian," I pointed out, crossing my arms. 

Sebastian sighed, and said, "Are you sure you want to know all about me? Believe me, everything between us will change. You might even look at my dad differently."

"I already do," I reminded him, "I saw him as a sixth year, and your parents looked so happy and in love. I...I want that one day, to be loved like that."

Sebastian took out his time turner from underneath his dark blue t-shirt and said, "Last chance to be truly young and ignorant, Miss. Granger. Are you sure you want to see all that I know?"

"Yes, I'm sure."  
"Okay. But their love story does not end well," Sebastian warned.

I should have refused, but I was a stubborn girl, and I had to know what made Harry's brother tick. 

"Please, Sebastian."  
"Very well."  
He placed the extendable gold chain around us both and we began going backwards and forwards in time. I learned more than I should have of both sides of the wizarding war, of Professor Snape's life, and about Sebastian. 

We did this so often that by the time our car reached our destination, we became the same age mentally, and I had to make the Unbreakable Vow to never reveal my knowledge of the Dark Lord, Sebastian, his sister Rose, Severus Snape to anyone unless it was a strict need to know basis. I agreed to all of these conditions, and our friendship strengthened as a result.

They say sometimes that ignorance truly is bliss. But to me, I would have rather known and understood my best friend, then not known, and remained in the dark about what was happening around me. For that knowledge I was willing to pay any price necessary, so long as I had one true friend in this world to share it with, always...


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione 

When I told my mum and dad about my exciting first year, and about the fancy Christmas ball at Prince Manor in three days, my parents asked to see the invitation. I didn't tell them about the time turner, of course, but I had a feeling that I knew why Sebastian had bought it for me: because he seemed to find me more trustworthy than my friends. 

My parents looked over the invitation, and became deadly serious in the living room. "Hermione, darling, this is going to come as a shock but I knew Mr. Prince's mother," My mum said awkwardly.

My dad looked just as uncomfortable, and he said, "I didn't know the Snapes very well, Minnie. But this is your mother's story to tell. I will just go make some tea."

My mother sat next to me on the couch, and patted my hands gently. "Lily, Sebastian's mother, was one of my best friends at Hogwarts. She was bright, spirited, and very pretty. Most of the guys in our year liked her, and she was fairly popular. Especially, James Potter. He was..."

"Nice?" I prompted.  
My mother shook her head, "No, dear. Obsessed is the word that comes to mind. He bullied poor Severus day after day, and so did his friends. He tried to somehow woo Lily, but her and Sebastian's father were tied at the hip. They had this love that defied all reason, and I didn't understand why."

I knew that I had a potions master named Snape, but I was confused, he didn't seem all that good looking to me. "Wait, are you talking about Professor _Snape_?! He's Sebastian's _father_?"

My mother nodded, "Yes, Hermione. But there is more: I don't know why Lily decided to wed James Potter as a muggle when in the wizarding world she already had a husband, but I can only think it had to do with being pregnant with a child seemingly out of wedlock. But I can tell you that she never loved Potter. In fact, I would say that after that incident one day by the black lake nipped any chances he might have had with her in the bud."

Then my mother did something I never expected her to do: she whipped out a wand, and brought a pensieve over to the coffee table! "Mum! Are both you and dad magical?"

"Yes, but your father is a muggleborn wizard, so we thought it best if you were raised as a muggle," She explained. "Your father was a Ravenclaw, and I was a Gryffindor in school."

I felt instantly relieved! I had true magical blood in my veins through my mother! "Wow! But Uncle Olivander never told me when I bought my wand."

"It's because I asked him not to, dear," My mom answered. "But he was gobsmacked to see you in his shop the day you bought your wand."

My dad had come in with the tea tray, and he set it down on the coffee table. He saw the pensieve and asked, "Are you sure you want to show her, Jean? I doubt even the Potter boy knows just how awful his father was to his mother."

My mom rounded on her husband, "She deserves to know the truth."

My dad put up his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. But sometimes the truth should remain hidden, dear."

"It's okay, dad, I want to see it."  
"Are you sure, Minnie?"  
"Yes."  
"Very well."

My mom pulled out a long memory strand with her wand, and put it into the swirling waters of the pensieve. I stuck my head in, and I saw a pretty auburn haired girl with green eyes, holding hands with a much younger Severus Snape. They were walking towards the black lake, and Lily laughed at something he said. 

"Aww, Sev, you're too funny!" Lily said. "Why on earth would you quote that silly ass Chevy Chase movie?"

Snape shrugged his shoulders, "Because when we have kids, I don't ever want our family holidays to get that crazy."

Lily laughed, "You seem pretty confident I will even let you fuck me to have these hypothetical kids of ours."

Snape laughed, and I then saw what Lily saw in my future potions master. He was...well, quite cute, actually. Not handsome like Sebastian, but charming, but he drew a person in somehow. A wicked glint shone in his black eyes as he paused in his walking, and cupped her behind as he kissed his girlfriend teasingly. 

"Oh, shut up, Lil," He said between kisses, "You know you can't resist me. You want me, admit it."

Lily spread out a picnic blanket from her bookbag by a weeping willow tree, and began taking out wrapped sandwiches, chips, and text books. I smiled at that. Not even Harry liked to make studying fun, but I could see that Snape had always been a bookworm. 

"Ugh, are you going to help, or just stand there looking hot?" Lily chided. Snape had a sketch book in his hands, and was sketching her. 

"I was going to draw you, but whatever," He said, winking. He drew for a few minutes, and then helped his girlfriend with setting things up. Lily opened up some chips, and asked, "Soo, what did you draw?"

My mother stood beside me, and her younger self waved to Lily. Lily waved to the couple, and Snape became guarded and more like how I knew him in school. They talked some, and my mom ran off, but the memory continued from a distance. 

My mom caught sight of Harry's dad, and his friends strolling up as the happy couple were beginning to get into kissing. They taunted them, and a fight broke out between Harry's dad and Snape. Then I watched as Sirius Black held down Harry's mom and James Potter was undoing his pants to assault her! 

My mom ran to get help from Professor McGonagoll and that was when the memory ended. My head came out of the pensieve, and I was so shaken by this revelation that I couldn't think straight for a few minutes. 

"After that day," My mom explained, a bit shaken up by the memory as well, "My friend and Snape became much more serious. They took to wearing matching silver rings, and I could hear them in school discussing things like courtship and marriage. When Lily showed me the ring, she was so ecstatic it really gave me the impression they were engaged. Jon, how did Snape seem to you? You were around him more."

My dad shrugged his shoulders, "He seemed like he was on cloud nine. I didn't know him very well, Lucius Malfoy knew him best, they were as close as brothers. But Minnie, you have to understand that once Lily was killed, he became cold, closed off."

"But what does that have to do with Sebastian?" I asked finally, putting some of the pieces together, "Harry's mom dies, and he becomes the Professor all the kids don't like, I get that. But what about his son, and me?"

My parents looked at me a little bit surprised by my observation. "Your father and I just want you to see something about your friend's past you may not be aware of, honey," My mom said gently. "James Potter was a terrible bully, and I don't know why she later had a baby with him, but I can tell you that it probably was not willingly. We just want you to be careful, that is all that we want." 

I nodded, drinking my tea. "Thank you, mom, dad. But Sebastian has been nothing but kind to me. Can I still go to the Christmas ball?"

My mom hugged me. "Of course you can. We just want you to be careful."

"That's right, Minnie," My dad chimed in. 

"I will, I promise."

I later went up to my room after dinner and wrote to Sebastian about what I learned. He wrote back later, and his letter said:

_Hermione,_

_Your mother's information is correct. I wish that I could tell you that my brother's father was a kind, honorable wizard, but I would be lying. I'm not even sure how much you wish to know, but my parents loved each other deeply, Hermione._

_There are things for reasons of assisting my father, that I cannot tell any one. I would be placing you in more danger than I would be comfortable with if you knew everything I know about this war with the Dark Lord. But please know that I would never knowingly harm you, and you can trust me to be your friend always._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_SP_

_✂-------_

_Sebastian,_

_I trust you, but I know Ron doesn't, and Harry is not sure about you, but I could help you. Can we talk about this at the party?_

_Yours,_

_H_

✂-------

_Hermione,_

_Of course, we can. I am looking forward to it. I will see you then._

_SP_

I left for Prince Manor the next day, and a beautiful, luxurious black limousine pulled up to my parent's driveway. I had packed my school stuff, and other stuff, and said my goodbyes to my parents. When I got into the limo, I was greeted by Sebastian himself.

We hugged each other and began to talk about incidental things. But then we began to talk about family life, he got evasive and tried to change the subject several times.

"But you said that we could talk about this, Bastian," I pointed out, crossing my arms. 

Sebastian sighed, and said, "Are you sure you want to know all about me? Believe me, everything between us will change. You might even look at my dad differently."

"I already do," I reminded him, "I saw him as a sixth year, and your parents looked so happy and in love. I...I want that one day, to be loved like that."

Sebastian took out his time turner from underneath his dark blue t-shirt and said, "Last chance to be truly young and ignorant, Miss. Granger. Are you sure you want to see all that I know?"

"Yes, I'm sure."  
"Okay. But their love story does not end well," Sebastian warned.

I should have refused, but I was a stubborn girl, and I had to know what made Harry's brother tick. 

"Please, Sebastian."  
"Very well."  
He placed the extendable gold chain around us both and we began going backwards and forwards in time. I learned more than I should have of both sides of the wizarding war, of Professor Snape's life, and about Sebastian. 

We did this so often that by the time our car reached our destination, we became the same age mentally, and I had to make the Unbreakable Vow to never reveal my knowledge of the Dark Lord, Sebastian, his sister Rose, Severus Snape to anyone unless it was a strict need to know basis. I agreed to all of these conditions, and our friendship strengthened as a result.

They say sometimes that ignorance truly is bliss. But to me, I would have rather known and understood my best friend, then not known, and remained in the dark about what was happening around me. For that knowledge I was willing to pay any price necessary, so long as I had one true friend in this world to share it with, always...


	8. Chapter 8

Harry

I felt a bit silly coming to the ball with Ron as my "date," but when we arrived via the limo, I felt even more so, because Prince Manor looked like a beautiful, castle-like mansion. Ron gaped at the property as the car pulled up to the front door, and our chauffeur let us out. 

We went into a grand, golden foyer room where a huge line went up the main staircase, and into a pair of golden double doors that went into the ballroom, I assumed; it was all soo cool! Ron got out, smoothing down his smelly old dress robes, and we got into line.

A house elf with a clipboard came down the line, and said, "Oh! Mr. Potter, you don't belong at the back of the line. You are family."

"Hey! What about me? I'm his guest!" Ron argued loudly, causing people to stare at them. 

The male house elf, dressed in a crisp black butler uniform shook his head, and said, "No, Mr. Weasley, you have to wait in line. Come, Mr. Potter, Mistress Granger and Master Prince are expecting you to follow Nedra."

I didn't want to leave Ron, but I had no choice but to follow the little house elf. He took my hand, and he apparated me to a golden ballroom where Hermione, the Malfoys, Professor Snape, and my brother Sebastian were politely receiving guests. Hermione was dressed in a very cute dark blue party dress. The Malfoys, and the Snapes were also dressed like purebloods. 

Hermione hugged me, and said, "You probably shouldn't have brought Ron, Harry. You know how he gets."

"What was I supposed to do just blow him off?" I hissed so only she could hear. 

Hermione kept smiling and kissed him on both cheeks, which made Ron jealous for some bizarre reason. "No, of course not. But I honestly hope that he doesn't try to ruin things like fourth year. Now, if you would help receive my guests, I would very much appreciate it, Harry."

So, for the next hour, I stood there beside Hermione, the Malfoys, and Snape Sr, and Junior, and received guests. When the line was done, the feast began, and Ron was seated with the other guests, while I had to sit with the Malfoys. Hermione and Sebastian sat in pride of place, laughing and joking around. But it wasn't lost on anyone how much Sebastian favored my best friend. 

Ron glared at them, and then at me, because he was being left out of sitting with the "important people." I had the impression that I was sitting to dinner at a wedding reception, and it was Hermione's wedding for some bizarre reason. They led the opening dance, and they couldn't take their eyes off each other the entire night. 

I danced with witch after witch, and finally Ron cornered me. "I hate the git," Ron admitted, "He was totally making eyes at Hermione all night."

"Yeah, he was," I said, "But it looked like she was having a good time."

Ron scoffed, "Too good a time."

Hermione approached me then, and asked, "Do you want to dance, Harry? I told Sebastian that I needed some time with my friends."

I slapped on a smile, "Um, sure. But I can't dance like him."

Hermione laughed, "It's okay, the waltzing part is over. Come on, it will be fun."

We did a fun, casual dance, and Hermione led me outside to the pool area. She took off her heels, and put her feet in the water. 

"Oh wow," She said, "That feels soo much better. Come sit with me, Harry, and we can catch up. The water is perfect."

I took off my dress shoes, and socks, and rolled up my pant legs. The water felt so good on my feet. "Mione,' are you dating Snape's son? I have to ask."

Hermione blushed, and shook her head, "No, I'm not. We're just good friends. Why do you ask?"

I shrugged, "It just seemed like it. You two seemed very close to each other. Like, you hardly left each other's side the entire night. I just wondered."

Hermione played with a ruffle on her dress and sighed, blushing, "I...I like him. He's smart, and funny, and even if he sometimes gets cryptic and acts like his dad, I know he's not trying to hurt me."

"And it doesn't bother you that he's related to Professor Snape?" I asked. 

Hermione chuckled, "Well, you are too, Harry. If your mum had lived, he would be your step father. Your mum was still legally married to him in the wizarding world, and to your dad in the muggle world."

I looked at my friend thunderstruck. "H-How do you know all of this?" I asked, shocked.

"I can't tell you that, Harry."  
"Why?"  
"Because I just can't, alright. Trust me on this," Hermione said, getting up. She slipped into her heels and left before I could say anything else. I wandered back into the ballroom, and tried to look for her to apologize, but when I heard she went to bed, even at twelve years old, I knew something was going on between Hermione and Sebastian Prince, something deep.

Ron and I left for the burrow, and Mrs. Weasely asked us why Hermione wasn't with us. "She has a room at the mansion, mum," Ron whined. "So bugger off."

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked, "I shall have to speak to the boy's father about this. Well, off to bed you two, you have school tomorrow, so you best not be late for the train tomorrow."

We said our good nights, and slept soundly. Little did I know what hornets nest of anger I would stir up when we got back to Hogwarts with Hermione and Sebastian. But what did I know? I thought I was doing it to protect my friend from being hurt...


	9. Chapter 9

Sebastian

My fifth year at Hogwarts began quite normally, but during the spring, weird things began happening like the spiders fleeing to the Forbidden Forest, and students becoming petrified left and right by a mysterious evil lurking in the castle.

First, Harry and Ron almost got expelled by my father for nearly destroying the whomping willow on the grounds with an enchanted flying car. Then, Harry got his arm broken by a rogue bludger during the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game. I had no time as the Slytherin Keeper to pay as close attention as I should have to my two charges. I was trying not to get knocked off my broom as it was by the Gryffindor Beaters.

The sorcerer's stone was destroyed after the Dark Lord tried to possess Harry, and I had very little to do with that, quite honestly. My job was to get Ron and Hermione to safety, which I did, of course. 

The first message was painted in blood in one of the hallways leading to the Great Hall: _Enemies of the heir beware._

"Enemies of the heir beware," Draco read, and glared at Harry and Hermione. "You'll be next, mudbloods."

"Everyone, will proceed to their dormitories immediately," Dumbledore ordered, "All except you three," He pointed at Ron, Harry, and Hermione. 

The students filed out in a timely fashion. "Do I go as well?" I asked my father.

"Yes, Mr. Prince, go," My father ordered, "Watch out for Draco and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Yes, Professor."

I took off after Draco and caught up to him joking about which one of the so called golden trio was going to end up being petrified next. 

"...And personally, I think it's going to be Granger," Draco said. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum cackled, and then they saw me, and began to cower fearfully.

"What makes you think that the monster, or whatever my brother seems to think it is, will attack Granger next?" I asked coolly. 

Draco smirked, "Um, because she's a mudblood, and if this wizard is Slytherin's heir, then she's definitely on the hit list."

I glared at him, "Your jealousy is most transparent. So what is it, Draco? Do you want to date her, or not?"

Drago went red in the face, "She's a disgusting, bushy haired ...mud.."

I punched Draco in the face, and we began punching and hitting each other. "Hermione is my friend, Draco! My _friend_."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right! Everyone knows you want to shag her. I saw you two during the Christmas ball, you were oblivious to everyone else but each other."

"Yeah, fine," I blurted, "But she's a half blood, not a muggleborn, a small difference to you, I know, but there you go. I'm going to bed, I have tests tomorrow."

"Whatever, man," Draco grumbled, wiping at his bloody nose. "I still think Granger is gonna be next."

I left without doing something even more reckless and stupid. I especially didn't want to clean out the potions lab for detention. My dad may be my father after hours, but during school, I receive absolutely no special treatment from him, unlike what most of the students think.

I heard my brother and his friends talk about trying to sneak into the Slytherin common room to ask Draco about who opened the Chamber of Secrets. I shook my head at that, and made my report to my father.

"You are certain of this?" He asked, while scratching his corrections down on some essays he was grading in his office. 

"Yes, I am," I said, sighing. "Should I help them with this stupid project, or let it play out? I'm at a loss as to what to do."

My father sighed, and put his quill in the ink pot. He sat back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Have you thought of brewing the potion yourself, son?"

"I...I have not thought of that," I confessed, "I mean, aren't you already making a ton of wolfsbane potion already in the lab for Professor Lupin?"

My father smiled, a genuine one, but to other people it would look like a scowl, "Clever boy. When did you puzzle it out? I doubt even the Granger girl is aware of the obvious signs yet."

I smiled in the same way, "Well, I followed him during the course of my prefect duties during the last full moon. I kept well out of sight, but I did see him change. I wouldn't call him the strongest werewolf I have ever seen, but he would still be a great threat to the students if he got it into his head to just...wander the school grounds."

My father nodded his head, "I agree. Dumbledore is a bloody idiot for putting the school at such a risk. It would be just as bad as if he hired a vampire."

I shook my head, "Actually, I don't think the royal class would harm the students. But a Nosferans, or Vehemens? Oh yeah, definitely."

He laughed, "Yes, yes. I do forget that researching vampire clans has always intrigued you, Sebastian. I thank the gods I ended up with an intelligent child."

I laughed at that, "At least I'm not my brother."

"Yes, so true."  
"Do you want help grading the papers? I know you're being called away more and more," I pointed out. 

At first, I didn't think dad would agree, but he wordlessly passed me a stack of papers, and said, "Sit, and simply grade these tests. Essays are more time consuming."

"Mine isn't in this stack, right?"  
"Oh, I always grade your work first. Never forget that." He winked.

I grinned, and for the next four hours, we did nothing but grade and proofread papers. I knew why he sometimes had me sit with him to grade papers, because I wanted to be a potions master like him, and he wanted to prepare me for the tedium of the job in general. When I got back to my common room, I took a shower, and went to sleep immediately as soon as my head hit the pillows of my bed...

✂--------

Four Months Later....

My OWLS went surprising smooth, but of course, there was no way to really tell if I passed or not this early. Most of my year was nervous with stress over their results, and even with all of my duties, I did worry somewhat about passing them. Divination I know that I would fail at, because Professor Trelawny was a quack. She occasionally had a true vision, but most of the time, it came out as nonsense. When I tried to explain that crystal scrying was a bunch of hogwash, she gave me detention with my father. My other classes I knew wouldn't be too much of an issue. I knew that I could pursue just about any career path I chose with my background, but I was always drawn to potions. 

I began to use a time turner to get to my classes on time, and so did Hermione. We began to study more when we weren't with our other friends, and I wasn't doing Quidditch practice or on some mission from my father. 

We were studying under one of the trees outside by the black lake in early June when she said, "Harry and Ron are really worried about this Chamber of Secrets thing, and I can tell that the teachers are scared too. Did Professor Snape talk about it with you?"

I looked up from my reading about snarfalod pods, and how they are used in potions. "If my dad is scared, he's certainly not going to admit it to me, Hermione."

Her face fell a bit, but I took her hand in mine and squeezed it reassuringly. "But I have noticed that he's been covering up what anxieties he does have with work. So much so that I sometimes have to help him grade papers."

"You, grade papers?!"  
"Yeah, and no, it is never yours."  
"Thank goodness."  
I chuckled, and she gave me a mean, hurt look. It looked really cute on her, her pout. "You know, you look really cute when you're put out about something, right?"

She socked me in the arm, and I feigned hurt. "I'm a bushy haired geek. How can you find me cute?"

I shrugged.  
"Are you making fun of me?"  
"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because...well...you're you, and I'm me, and..." She stammered, "Okay, that sounded better in my head than aloud."

I set her Care of Magical Creatures book aside, and tilted her chin to meet my eyes. "I want you to do something, Hermione. Just for a minute."

"But I need to study, and..."  
"Yes, and we will, but first, close your eyes," I said soothingly. "Just pretend I'm not here, and tell me what is really bothering you."

She frowned, and rolled her eyes. "Bastian, this is dumb. We don't have time for this."

I sighed, "Yes, we do. Now, just humor me, alright? Close your eyes." She did, and I moved away from her. "Now, what is really bothering you?"

"My friends," She confessed in an almost dreamy voice, "They cause me no end of worries. I help them pass their classes, and put up with their adventures, because I want to fit in. Only you seem to get me, I fit in with you, but..." Hermione blushed, and teared up, "It's hard to be fourteen in a twelve year old's body, because I like you, but you're older than me, and I...I...I shouldn't like you, but I do, and you would never go for, well, someone like me."

"Obliviate," I murmured under my breath, and tucked my wand away. I snapped my fingers, and it woke Hermione up from her trance. Damn! I honestly did not mean to hypnotize her, just to relax her. 

"Oh! I'm sorry, Bastian, what did I just say? I must have dozed off," She said, blinking away her post-hypnotic weariness. 

"You did, but it wasn't anything important," I assured her. "Let's get back to studying."

"Okay, let's," She said, smiling brightly. I smiled back.

I didn't want to bring up the fact that she liked me as maybe more than a friend, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that, honestly. But we both weren't ready to admit that to each other yet openly, because even though I tried to have other interests than her, I did like her, more than I should, or was wise. I just didn't know what would happen when I would have to show it, because my visions were showing me that that was going to happen, eventually. I just had to be ready in the mean time...


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione

I flipped my time turner after I got out of Ancient Runes for the day, and fully expected to see Professor Lupin in Defense Against The Dark Arts. Instead, all of the students were shocked, myself included, to find a charming, blonde wizard in golden robes that were even more dandified than Lucius Malfoy's clothes, as if that were possible. He seemed overly confident, and his smile looked like you could cut it with a knife.

But he was charming, and kind of cute, I had to admit. "Good afternoon class!" He said happily, "I am Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. Order of Merlin, first class, and an honorary member of the wizengamot. I am here to mold and shape your young minds into the sharp witches and wizards of tomorrow.." Blah, blah, blah...Okay, I decided then and there to call him the golden blowhard in my head. 

Over halfway through the class, he talked about himself. Eww...then he decided to unleash Cornish pixies on to the class. The room erupted into chaos as students began fleeing and panicking. 

A couple of the fairies had picked up Neville Longbottom and hanged him from the dragon skeleton that was hanging from the ceiling of the D.A.D.A classroom. 

Harry shouted, "Hold still! One is on your back!" 

I held still as another blue pixie began pulling my hair. Harry beat the pixie off with a textbook. 

Sebastian got up, and took out his sleek black wand, "Immobilus!"

Lockhart was cowering behind his desk, and he clapped as he said happily, "Well done, Mr. Snape, well done!"

"Prince, sir," Sebastian corrected.  
"I beg your pardon?"  
"My name is Prince."

"Oh! So sorry, dear boy," Lockhart said, dusting off his robes. "You just look so much like him is all."

Sebastian scowled, looking very much like Professor Snape, only cuter. _Oh my gods, did I just think Sebastian was cute?? I'm officially losing my mind..._ "Yeah, I get that a lot. Are you ready to go, Hermione? We do have potions, after all," He reminded me.

Ron glared at Sebastian, and Harry looked disconcerted as I took his hand in mine. Harry and Ron cleaned up the classroom, and soon joined us in potions class. 

"Everyone will pair up into groups of two," Professor Snape announced once everyone was settled into their usual places. "You will all be working on veritaserum, one of the most complex formulations in your books."

I put up my hand and Snape sighed and said, "Yes, Miss. Granger?"

"Is that not a little, well, advanced, sir?" I asked nervously biting my lip, "Just last week we were covering simple healing draughts."

Professor Snape loomed over me, and smirked, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss. Granger, but is it not a frequent complaint of yours that I do not challenge my students? Pair up with someone, or I will choose for you. Hmm, perhaps Crabbe, or Goyle?"

I felt heat rising to my cheeks. Oh my, was he a snarky git! "I...I think I can handle being challenged."

"Indeed. Now, get to it."  
Snape left me to go berate Susan Bones for showing up late for class, and costing Gryffindor thirty points as a result.

Sebastian nudged me, and asked, "You want to partner up?"

"Come on, Mione,' " Ron whined, "It would be too obvious if you picked teacher's boy here."

"Ron, leave Mione' be," Harry said wearily, "If she wants to choose my brother, she can. I personally want to work with Ginny myself."

"You would!" Ron huffed.   
I sat next to Sebastian, and he handed me a note: _If you want to work on some polyjuice potion, we can after hours. I've been working on a personal project regarding it any way._

_How? Your dad knows about this?_ Sebastian flashed me his most winning smile, and winked. I don't know why his very smile makes me weak in the knees, but it does. Okay, he's cute, really freaking cute. Way more than his dad was at our age. 

We got the ingredients out, and of course, with Ron working alongside Malfoy, mishaps happened. They began arguing, and we watched as Professor Snape took points away and gave them detentions. 

I watched Sebastian work quickly but at a pace that showed how at ease he was around the cauldron. "Cut up these snarfalod pods, but watch out for the black ink," He instructed in a voice eerily like his father's. "I will stir, you cut while I take notes. Got that, Granger?"

"Yes, I got it."  
Ron glared at how well me and Sebastian worked together. We moved in sync, and seemed to really mesh well. Finally, all of the ingredients were ready to be stirred. Sebastian stirred, and then scratched a note or two in his notes. Then we took turns. 

When the veritaserum turned clear, we smiled at each other, and Sebastian tested it stirring it a final time. Professor Snape came over to check it. He nodded approvingly, and moved on. I was speechless, usually he always berated me on my 'shoddy work.'

He checked over everyone's work, and said, annoyed, "As a consequence for your shoddy work on your projects, everyone but Miss. Granger and Mr. Prince will have a five foot long essay on what you should have done to avoid the mistakes of your potion result. This will be due on my desk tomorrow at the start of class."

"That's not fair!" Harry shouted, "We have Quidditch tomorrow."

"Then I suggest that you take extra care, Mr. Potter," Snape sneered, "Loss of limb will not excuse you."

The dismissal bell rang, and we all filed out. I went through the rest of my classes mystified by actually doing something that Professor Snape approved of. I got to work on my charms essay immediately, and got it done in the library just before dinner...

✂-------- 

Harry was busy with the coming match with Ravenclaw, and chattered endlessly about the game with Ron. Ginny and I talked about incidental things, but then she caught Sebastian sneaking glances over our way. 

"He's staring at you again," Ginny pointed out, Dark Prince over at the Slytherin table.

I glanced at Sebastian and he was sharing a funny story with Theodore Nott. "No, he's not. He's chatting up his friends. He does have other interests besides girls."

"Uh huh, _sure_ he does," Ginny giggled girlishly, "I saw him in potions, he was all eyes at you. What's up with you two anyway?"

I shrugged, "We're friends. That's it, Gin. I swear."

"Are you sure about that?"  
"Yes!" I hissed, totally embarrassed. "Plus, he's a Slytherin, Ron and Harry--"

"Oh, please!" Ginny shook her head, "He's one of the most popular guys in school, Minnie. He's charming, funny, classy, and _super_ cute. When you're around, no girl exists for him but you. Besides, did he not give you that gorgeous bedroom in his family's mansion last Christmas?"

Ron overheard and scowled, "Wait a minute, he actually gave you a bedroom?! Who does that?"

"We weren't talking to _you_ , snoop!" Ginny said sharply. "I think it's sweet. Besides, I would love to have a room in a mansion."

Ron turned red as a beet, and began shoving food in his mouth. "Yeah right! All you girls are the same. Maybe Malfoy can date you."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "You never know. Besides, don't you have detention tonight?"

"Yeah! With Malfoy."  
"Cheer up, maybe he'll just make you scrub out cauldrons," I pointed out. 

A note in the shape of a dove floated to my table, and I opened it. _Tonight,_ was all the note said in Sebastian's handwriting. I smiled, and looked at the Slytherin table. He winked at me, and I winked back. 

Ginny gushed, "Aww, let me know if he kisses you. I _so_ want to know what that's like."

I blushed, "I doubt that he's going to kiss me, Ginny. We're working on a personal potions project of his in Snape's lab."

"Lucky! You go get it, girl!"  
I laughed and grabbed my things, walking out of the Great Hall. 

I felt like Sebastian followed me, and I felt a tap on my shoulder confirming that he was. I put my hand to my chest to still my beating heart. "Are you ready to work?" He asked.

"Yes, but doesn't polyjuice potion take a month to make? I read that the ingredients are ridiculously difficult to find."

Sebastian shrugged, "It's alright, my dad has all of them. But that stuff tastes like shit, I should warn you. What do you need it for?"

"Ron and Harry want to question Draco about who opened the Chamber of Secrets," I confessed.

He nodded, understanding, "Okay. Then we will just have to brew enough potion to account for that. It will be hard, but I think we can do it if we sneak in study breaks. I have OWLS to get through."

I had not realized that, and remembered that this was his fifth year, whereas I was only in my second year. I knew that in sixth year was the beginning of NEWT level classes, and in the final year was the finals, and graduation from Hogwarts. 

I masked my anxiety by smiling, "Well, I guess it's advanced studies for me, then. I like being prepared, you know."

We came to a hidden door in the dungeons I never noticed before, and Sebastian muttered a password before it opened. The room was immaculate and highly organized with all manner of ingredients lined up along the walls labeled in Professor Snape's spidery handwriting. Sebastian took down the ingredients he needed, and I helped him cut and prepare the cauldron. 

I tried to follow the instructions to the letter, but he closed the book. "Hey! I _was_ reading that."

"Yes, I know," He said, smirking, "But I want you to follow your instincts on what to put in next. Think outside the norm, Hermione. My father stresses this in his classroom to everyone."

"I thought he was just being a mean git to everyone," I admitted. 

He laughed, "So do they. But it's not true. He likes you, Hermione. That's why he's hard on you, and teases you about your know it all behavior. Now think, what is an ingredient that the book had that the potion masters of the past published, but would work just as well as boomslang skins?"

"Chameleon skins?" It was the first thing that popped into my head, honestly.

"Exactly!"  
"But isn't challenging the prescribed ingredients dangerous and reckless?" I asked, completely intrigued now.

Sebastian smiled knowingly, "That is what I aim to find out in my research. We will, of course, make your batch with the boomslang skins. But I want mine without, and my hypothesis is that it will work even better, because of how they blend so well into their environment in the wild."

We worked and discussed various ingredients that grew more and more obscure. I took notes alongside Sebastian, and by the end of it, we were totally exhausted. 

Professor Snape came in, and checked our work. "Intriguing. When I suggested such an ingredient in my own school days, Professor Slughorn laughed at my 'foolhardiness.' "

He rolled up his sleeves, and I saw his Dark Mark tattoo. I looked at it, wide eyed, and no doubt looking like an idiot. 

"Stop gaping like a fish out of water, Miss. Granger!" Snape snapped, "You act as if you have never seen a tattoo before."

"Dad.." Sebastian warned.  
"I just...I have never seen the Dark Mark out of books, I mean," I explained, "I wasn't judging you, sir. The skull represents the follower of the emblem of the Dark Lord's family, right?"

The two Snapes stared at me in shock. "I...I have not heard of this symbolism before. Was this something you read in a library book, Miss. Granger?" Professor Snape asked, intrigued now.

I blushed under his scrutiny, "No, the books just say that it represents the witch or wizard who bears the mark to have thoroughly embraced evil. But I did my own research on You Know Who. His mother was a Gaunt, and grew up dirt poor. All of them were parselmouths, and had snakes as pets. She used amortentia on Tom Riddle Senior, and after the potion wore off, he left poor Merope Gaunt when he found out she was pregnant. Hence, the Dark Lord's hatred for muggles."

Professor Snape nodded, digesting the information, "It explains more than you know about his character."

I looked at the tattoo, and ran a finger along the slight ridges all tattoos leave in the skin from a tattoo needle. This felt deeper, and the current of dark magic swirling in the mark darkened. He snatched his forearm from me as if I burned him. 

Sebastian looked alarmed, "He is _near_ , almost...Dad, you don't think he could be responsible for these attacks on muggleborns?"

I saw real fear on the older wizard's face, and it scared me. "I sincerely hope that is not the case. But he is dead, I am sure of it. I have to see Dumbledore about this. Son, guard Potter and Miss. Granger. Do you understand?"

"Yes, dad." I watched father and son hug, and he nodded in my direction. I nodded back.

When he left the room, Sebastian said, "You really freaked him out with what you said. Most people are judgmental about the dark arts."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm not. My friends are. I won't practice it myself, but I want to know what my enemies know."

I looked at my watch. "Holy crap! It's one am! Could I stay in your common room?"

Sebastian blushed slightly, "Yeah, sure. But it's going to be hard to explain why you are visiting so late. Unless we pretend to...umm..."

"Date?"  
"Yeah."  
"Oh, um, okay. I can play along."

He took my hand in his, and I tried to control the beating of my heart as I laced my fingers through his callused ones. He kissed my hand, and I shivered. 

We stored our potions, and we were fortunate that no one was wandering the common room. It was cozy, but so darkly elegant that it put the earthy homely quality of Gryffindor tower to shame. A beautiful backdrop of the black lake dominated one wall, and sometimes the giant squid, mermaids, or colorful fish would swim past. Rows and rows of books littered the walls. 

Everywhere was an elegant piece of art, or snake sculpture that spoke of the school House's history. I loved the place, almost like I should have been sorted here instead of in Gryffindor. 

"Let me show you the dorms," Sebastian said, leading me up a black staircase I didn't notice before. We were almost to his dorm room, when we heard a noise. Nott was coming out of his room, and Sebastian grabbed me, and pushed me up against the wall, and began kissing me deeply. I moaned, shocked by the action. 

When Nott passed us by, we were both blushing, but said nothing. "I'm sorry," He apologized. "But Ted's a huge gossip. If he caught you here..."

"It's...it's okay, I get it," I said, coming into his private room. "I just...I've never been kissed before. You just surprised me is all."

"Sorry. You probably hated it."  
"I didn't say that."  
"Do you want me to do it again?"  
"Sure, why not?"

Sebastian pulled me to him, and I dropped my bookbag on the floor. Time seemed to stand still as he caressed my face, and brushed a thumb across my lips. I shivered from the touch. I thought he was going to release me, but then his pale lips pressed against mine, and I tentatively slid my tongue into his mouth. 

He growled at the back of his throat, and deepened the kiss as he ran his hands along my back, and I threw my arms around his neck, running my fingers through his soft black hair. 

"Hermione..." He breathed, his voice husky. "We should stop...I..."

"Why?" I asked lamely.   
He gave me a final kiss, but pushed me gently away, "I will sleep on the couch. The bathroom is behind the third door to your right," He said coolly.

I shook to clear my head. What the hell just happened?? Did we just _kiss_? I went into the bedroom, and was confused by Sebastian's sudden cool behavior. Why? What did I do that was so freaking wrong? Boys are so weird. I went to bed in tears that night...


	11. Chapter 11

Sebastian

I woke up on the couch of my personal living room, and first wondered if I had been studying too hard and crashed on the couch. Then the events of the previous night came back to me in vivid detail: my hands running down Hermione's waist and pulling her close as our lips moved against one another. The taste of her lingering on my tongue, long after we kissed. 

I looked down at my day old uniform, and went into my bedroom. Hermione was in my bed, sleeping curled up. I undressed to my briefs and got under the covers. Hermione groaned a bit in her sleep and I smoothed back some of her hair from her cheek and kissed it. I wrapped an arm around her protectively, and was able to sleep much more soundly...

🐍--------

Hermione was calling my name, and she looked up at me, alarmed. "Sebastian, we didn't like...do anything, did we?"

I yawned, "Well, good morning to you too. The answer to your question is no, I was a perfect gentleman. I just climbed in and cuddled with you."

Hermione blushed, "Yeah, but those kisses last night--"

"There's nothing to talk about," I said impatiently. "Nothing happened last night. I kissed you, and you kissed me back. We both liked it, the end. It's not like we're dating or anything."

Hermione looked like I struck her. "But...Is that really what you want, Bastian? I mean...I...I did like it when you kissed me."

I rolled on to my side, and stroked her cheek softly. "I know. But it might be best if we don't date. You're in your second year, I'm in my fifth. People might think it's weird, Hermione, the age gap here."

Hermione began to cry, and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "But...But I like you, Bastian. Really _like_ you."

I kissed her softly and pulled away, "I know you do, but with everything going on...I just...maybe it's not safe and--"

"I don't care!" Hermione asserted, "Please, Sebastian.. _please_. Don't do this."

I checked my schedule, and said, "I'm going to go take a shower and get ready. I have herbology as my first class."

Hermione sat up, and brushed her hair out of her face. "Fine! But I'm not changing my mind about us, Sebastian. Mark my words."

I sighed and gathered up a fresh school uniform and underlinens, and locked the door behind me as I took a shower. I hated doing this, but I knew that it was for the best. I quickly got ready for the day and when I was done, Hermione marched right past me and got ready for the day. 

I waited, and waited. When she was done, she came out and said, "Sebastian, can we please talk about this? After hours, I mean?"

I really didn't want to talk about it any more, but I said, "Yeah, sure. Do you have your time turner?"

She lifted it up out of her shirt slightly, and said, "Yes, but...I have to ask one question."

I slinged my bookbag on one shoulder. "Shoot."

"Are you doing this because I'm younger than you?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest. "You know, physically?"

"Partly," I admitted, "Hermione, you look twelve. I'm nearly fifteen. But I'm somewhat of a target to the Dark Lord, because of my father. If anything were to happen to you, because of me, I would never forgive myself."

Hermione blushed, and smiled warmly, "I...I understand. But I don't want other people, just you."

I stepped towards her, and plunged my hands in her hair, kissing her roughly. She kissed me back, and we were both crying when we pulled away from each other. 

"I want you to be sure I'm who you want, Hermione," I said, somewhat firmly, "Can you accept that I'm going to give you time to decide that?"

"Yes, but...you're not rejecting me?" Hermione asked. 

I kissed her softly, "No, I'm not. I'm being the responsible one here by giving you time and space. But if you decide on me, I should warn you that once something, or someone becomes mine I won't give it up."

"Okay. Let's get to class then."  
I kissed her hand, and we flipped the time turner to our respective classes. I popped into herbology, and I felt better about what I decided. But at the end of the day, when she turned up petrified while coming back from the library, that was when I knew that I wanted to find out just what the hell was going on with the Chamber of Secrets. 

When Harry and Ron found out about Hermione, they were sad, but not nearly as crushed as me. Ron, of course, stuffed his face with food every dinner, and chatted about Quidditch of all things. 

"Ron! Don't you care that our best friend is paralyzed in the hospital ward?!" Harry nearly shouted, losing his patience with his friend. 

Ron looked up from his plate of fried chicken, and his drumstick was half out of his mouth, "What? She's paralyzed, Harry. She's not like dead, and stuff. What's the big deal?"

"Fine! You know what? I'm going to go talk to my brother. He seems to care more than you," Harry said, and came over to the Slytherin table. 

Draco smirked, "Soo, come to join the snakes, huh, Potter? You outta be careful, the teachers don't like it when you sit at the other House tables. They might think you're...up to something."

"Piss off, Draco," I snapped, "You can sit next to me, Harry. It's alright."

Draco flashed me a hurt look, but I shook my head as if to say 'not now.' He went off with his friends, and we sat relatively alone. "I have to go into the Forbidden Forest," Harry said. "And if Ron is gonna be a spoil sport, that leaves you, Bastian."

"You want to talk to the spiders, right?" I surmised. Harry looked at me, shocked, but then I added, "I know a bit of legilimency from my dad. But why do you want to go all the way into the forest?"

Harry pulled out a black leather diary with the name Tom Marvolo Riddle engraved on the back in gold lettering. "I...I've been reading it. It showed me...somehow, when the Chamber was opened fifty years ago, and this young guy in your House, was there. He saw some dead girl get carted away from the girl's bathroom, and confronting Hagrid about Aragog, his acromantula friend. It's how he got sent to Azkaban, because the Ministry thought he murdered that muggleborn witch."

I digested all of this, and finally said, "Okay, I will help you. Are you sure you don't want to involve my father?"

Harry scowled, "I don't trust your dad. He's mean, and evil and--"

I narrowed my eyes, "My father is _not_ evil. He's been protecting you this entire time."

"Prove it."  
"Fine! My dad has a pensieve and we're going to use it," I said firmly. "If you still think he's evil after that, fine, but he loved our mother fiercely."

"And if I do this, will you still help me?" Harry asked.

"Yes, of course. You're my brother. Of course, I'm going to help you in any way that I can," I said. 

Harry nodded, and said, "Then let's go look at this pensieve, and see what we can find."

We sneaked into my dad's lab and I pulled out the pensieve. Harry was gawking at everything, and then at the bowl filled with memories. I stirred it with my wand, and saw some school memories from before my birth circulating in there. 

"You first," I said.  
"Do you drown in it?"  
"No."  
"Cool."

We stuck our heads in, and Harry learned more than he should have of my father, but it was necessary to gain his trust. We examined memory after memory until I was convinced of my brother's loyalty. 

At the end of it, he cried, and said, "I...I'm sorry, Bastian. I shouldn't have called your dad evil. My dad was...I can't believe he would hurt mum like that. He loved her so much."

I nodded, not able to speak. I wiped at my tears, and said, "Yeah, he still does. Just...don't hate him if he has to keep you at a distance, alright? You just look too much like James Potter, and you have mom's eyes. I look more like my father, so it's a bit easier for him to relate to me. Plus, we've been through a lot of crap together that bonded us over time."

Harry hugged me, and I hugged him back. We sneaked out of the lab, and went to our common rooms. I decided to do my rounds, and check on Hermione. She was still petrified, and I kissed her lips before I was faced with my father. 

"I wondered when you were going to admit you felt something for her," He said, checking her vitals. 

I blushed, "We're...taking it easy on that front. But yeah, I do like her more than I should."

My dad tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and sighed, "I am aware of it. I won't pretend to understand the appeal, but keep it concealed. The last thing you need is for her to be a target for the Dark Lord."

"I know."   
I kissed her hand, and then noticed that she had a piece of paper in her curled up hand. I took it, and saw that she was researching basilisks. Spiders flee before it, all creatures are turned to stone by its gaze. 'Moving through pipes,' she jotted down. 

I handed it to my dad, and he grinned, "Clever insufferable know it all."

"You like her too, admit it."  
"I refuse. Now, go to your common room while I relay this newfound information to Dumbledore," My father ordered.

I left, happier than I had been in a long time. I even slept better, knowing that things were finally moving forward to solving this mystery at long last...


	12. Chapter 12

Harry

He felt a bit strange having his brother, and Ron with him as they hid under his dad's invisibility cloak. Sebastian was the tallest, so he had to crouch a bit when he walked towards the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid had been taken away the night before, and Lucius Malfoy of course, reveled in carting the half giant away, but when he revealed his distaste for this, Sebastian said, "The man is governor of Hogwarts. He needs to do his job, Harry. Even if my godfather is doing things in a shady way, he's doing what he believes is right."

"Oh, like protecting his idiot son?" Harry asked, accusing him.

"Yeah, why are you siding with the Malfoys anyway?" Ron asked. "You with them, or what?"

Sebastian shook his head, "No, I'm simply playing devil's advocate, Ron."

"Huh?" The ginger haired boy asked, clueless.

"He means that...what does that even mean, Bastian?" Harry asked. "I swear you and Mione' say some things that make my head spin sometimes."

"It means that I am putting myself in your opponent's shoes to try to see things from their point of view," Sebastian explained, "Weird stuff is going on at the castle, and Mr. Malfoy believes that Dumbledore isn't handling it in as efficient a manner as possible. Plus, he has a son, and a god son to worry over. Now, maybe he is trying to oust Dumbledore as headmaster to either a) place himself as headmaster, or b) try to make his House look better. Either way, he feels that what he is doing is the right course of action."

"Well, he's a slimy git," Ron grumbled, "He's mean and cruel, and that's all there is to it. All the Malfoys are."

Sebastian chuckled, "And have you met my Aunt?"

"Well...No, but..."  
"Then your argument is invalid."

They came to the Forbidden Forest, and Harry stuffed it in his jacket pocket as he shrunk it down. He prayed that he wouldn't lose it by the end of the night. Ron kept getting fidgety, and Harry wondered why Sebastian didn't seem scared in the slightest. He was such a sphinx most of the time, it was hard to tell what his older brother was thinking. 

"I wanna go back, guys," Ron whined, "It's scary out here."

There was a slight booming sound, and Ron kept whinging. "Quiet!" Sebastian hissed under his breath. "We're getting close."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.  
Sebastian nodded, "Positive. Now, keep Weasleby quiet."

"His name's not--"  
" _Silence,"_ Sebastian ordered in a tone eerily similar to Professor Snape. 

Little spiders surrounded them, but didn't attack them. The webs grew more dense in Aragog's thicket, and then the booming sound got louder and louder, until giant, hairy spider legs reached over the cleft from which Aragog was hiding in. Then Aragog himself appeared, and he looked most fearsome indeed with his huge brown body, and multiple eyes.

"Hagrid?" The voice drew out, "Is that you there?"

"We're...we're friends of Hagrids," Harry said to the giant acromantula. Gods, he hoped that he was doing the right thing by coming here for this thing's help. "Up at the school, there have been attacks, students getting petrified one after another. Hagrid was arrested for supposedly opening the Chamber of Secrets again."

"One of the students was a girl I care very deeply for," Sebastian added, looking up at the spider with more bravery than he felt. "Can you help us? Any information you can give would be of great help to us."

The huge spider chuckled, "You have your father's heart, boy. But it is a lie about Hagrid. When the Chamber was opened last time, the creature all spiders fear was released by a wizard boy who speaks with snakes. Only one such as him can open the Chamber."

"Can you tell us who opened it last time?" Harry asked.

"No," Aragog replied, "I never saw any part of the castle. Only the inside of the trunk I lived in when Hagrid went to school here. I came here from a distant land in the pocket of a traveler. I know no more."

"Well, thank you," Harry said, "We'll just...um, be going now."

"Go?" Aragog asked, amused, "I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my orders. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it walks so...willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid."

"Can we run now?" Ron asked, weeping patheically. Sebastian took the lead, taking Harry's hand and running off. They threw spells left and right at the chasing spiders. Finally, Arthur Weasley's enchanted car burst through the spiders, and Professor Snape was behind the wheel. 

"Get in!" He shouted.   
They had no choice but to obey, and Snape put the pedal to the metal and drove off. One spider crashed through the back window, and made a grab for Ron with its pincer teeth. 

"Aronia exemae!" Sebastian shouted, incinerating the spider. "Are you alright, Ron?"

"I'm fine, snake lover," Ron snapped. Snape drove almost to where the whomping willow tree stood. He got out, and everyone followed suit. Then Harry saw something he thought he would never see: Snape hugging his son tenderly. 

"Dad, I'm _fine_ ," Sebastian assured his father, "I'm more worried about Hermione."

Snape smiled, "Of course, you are. But that was stupid and reckless son! If something happened to you--"

"I know, dad. I love you too."  
"Humph! All of you will be receiving detention for your little stunt all next week," Snape said to all of us. "Now, get to your common rooms before I see fit to dock points as well from your Houses."

"Yes, sir," They all said in unison.   
Harry was about to leave with Ron, but he was shocked by his brother hugging him tight. 

"Sleep tight, brother," Sebastian said. "I'll see you soon."

"He's freaking weird," Ron pointed out once they got inside the Gryffindor common room. "They both are. Why would Snape hug him like that?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Because he loves his son, silly. I didn't believe it until I saw it. Maybe Professor Snape isn't as bad as we all think he is. After all, Sebastian cares a lot for Hermione and--"

"Yeah, right!" Ron snapped, "He just wants to get in her knickers and drop her once he's had what he wants."

He felt like slapping his best friend in that moment, but he decided to let it go for the time being. He saw all he needed to know about how much Snape was actually a caring guy, and a good father; it was no wonder his mother loved him. He got ready for bed, and hoped that Hagrid could get out of Azkaban soon, because he certainly needed him now, and Hermione, especially Hermione. 

If Sebastian had not been there things could have gone worse, much, much worse. He swore then to be more open with his brother from this time forward, and to trust that in the long run, Professor Snape was trying to do the right thing for everyone. He just had to trust him. Easier said than done...


	13. Chapter 13

Sebastian 

The golden blowhard, as I secretly called him, returned to teach, much to my extreme disapproval, but most of the witches seemed to like him around. I missed Hermione, so much that it burned my heart. I studied, did Quidditch, and tried to just keep myself busy to dull this hollow feeling in my chest, but to no avail. 

The entire DADA class was called into the Great Hall, where a long platform with moons and stars were printed on it. Then the golden blowhard got up and did his spiel talking about himself, before explaining the reason for why there was a long stage in the Great Hall. 

"Now, to help demonstrate how to conduct yourself, I have kindly asked Professor Snape to come join me up here on the stage," Lockhart said. My father came up the steps, dressed in his frock coat, without the teaching robes for more freedom of movement. They bowed to each other, but it was plain that even he greatly disliked this teacher. I didn't need to be a legilimens to know that. 

Lockhart was counting down, and lightning quick my father cast the expelliarmus charm. Lockhart went flying, and fell on the stage face first. Most of the students laughed, but I just smiled. Ron Weasley was giggling like a girl.

"An excellent idea to show them that spell, Professor Snape, but if I wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy," Lockhart boasted.

My father sneered at him, and said coolly, "Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells."

"An excellent idea, Professor Snape," Lockhart said. "Let's have a pair of volunteers. Weasley, Potter, how about you?"

I watched my brother move towards the platform when my father pointed out, "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spell. We will be sending Potter to the hospital ward in a match box. Might I suggest someone from my own House? Malfoy, perhaps?"

My father gestured for Draco to get up on the stage, and Harry followed suit. "Now, on the count of three, I want you two to cast your charms to disarm only. We don't want any accidents here," Lockhart instructed. 

My brother and Draco saluted each other with their wands, and barely waited for Lockhart to finish his counting. The two rivals kept firing off defensive spells intended to hurt, not disarm, until Draco summoned a cobra.

Harry began hissing and speaking in parseltongue. My father looked worried, but everyone else wondered just what the hell was going on.

Finally, my father incinerated the snake, and the Hufflepuff boy the cobra was going after asked, "What are you playing at?"

Class was immediately dismissed, and I followed Ron and Harry to their common room. "What are _you_ doing here?" Ron accused.

"Shut up," I snapped, "I'm here to check on my kid brother. Harry, are you alright?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, but what happened? All I did was tell that snake to leave that kid alone. Didn't all of you hear that?"

"We heard you speaking in parseltongue," Ron said, "Y'know, snake language?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "So what? I was only trying to keep that snake from hurting the other students. But I'm sure other people here can do it."

"No, they can't Harry," I said finally, "It's quite a rare gift. There is a reason the heraldic symbol of Slytherin House is a snake. Salazar Slytherin was a parselmouth, he could talk to snakes too, and he had quite the collection of snake pets before his death."

Harry seemed to grasp my meaning, and said, "So, you're saying that people are suddenly gonna think I'm like his great, great,grandson or something? That's crazy."

"I dunno, mate," Ron said itching the back of his head, "The guy lived a thousand years ago. For all we know, you could be, right Bastian?"

"I don't think it likely, but I aim to find out," I promised. "One thing is for sure, I am going to get to the bottom of this for everyone's sakes, but especially Hermione."

Harry shook my hand, "Thanks, Bastian for coming along. Tell Mione' when she wakes up that I miss her."

I smiled, "You and me both, brother. More than I thought I would."

I left Gryffindor tower and went to the rest of my classes. I asked Professor Sprout if I could bring Hermione a rose, and she smiled, and said I could. I went to the hospital ward, and brought her the red rose I picked. 

I put the curtains around her bed, and began to tear up,"I'm so so, sorry, Hermione," I smoothed her hair back from her forehead, and kissed her forehead. "I only said what I said to protect you. But I guess I couldn't save you in the end. Harry and everyone misses you too. And I...well, I just miss you, and I want you to be safe, always. I can come by later if you want."

I heard Madame Pomfrey listening in, and I wiped at my eyes. "I know, I know, I'm going, Madame Pomfrey," I said, my voice hoarse.

She laid a gentle hand on my shoulder and patted it. "Yes, you should. But you can come see her later. Professor Sprout has some mature mandrakes and soon, she will be right as rain, you'll see. Get some sleep, Mr. Prince." 

I nodded, and got up reluctantly. But before I did, I kissed Hermione on the lips. I left the hospital ward, and I found Draco hunched over doing an essay. 

He looked up at me, and asked, "Granger's still not any better?"

"No."  
"I'm sorry, man," He said gently, and yawned. "I personally don't know what you see in her, but if she makes you happy, who am I to judge? Dad might hate your choice, though."

I shrugged, "Yeah, well, it's not up to him who I marry, so whatever. Who did you get?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Pansy."  
"Ouch."  
"Yeah. She's a total bitch, at least your girl is nice...in her own mudblood kind of way," Draco said. "You guys figure out who opened the Chamber of Secrets yet? You know, you and Saint Potter?"

"You know, my brother isn't as much of an ass as your friends, Draco," I pointed out. "Maybe you should cut him some slack. Privately, I mean, I know you have this image to maintain."

"Yeah, and maybe I'll just let slip how bad you want in that mudblood's knickers," Draco threatened. 

"Ooh! Do I detect jealousy cousin?" I asked, winking. "You should be careful, one could almost mistake you for fancying Granger."

Draco glared, "You wouldn't dare. I'll tell my father on you."

I laughed, "Oh, my. I'm _really_ scared. Very well, Draco. You don't tell anyone about how much I like Miss. Granger, and I won't slip how you tattletaled on my half-brother, and his friends when they discovered that Hagrid was harboring a dragon in his hut."

Draco groaned, "Gods, you're an asshole, you know that?"

I hugged him, "Yes, but you like me and you know it."

"You're lucky I do," Draco said, sitting back down on the main couch. "What happens in Slytherin stays in Slytherin."

"Humph! Tell Nott that."  
"I do, everyday."  
"Night,' cos."  
"You too, loser."

I could barely sleep once I got ready for bed, and when I did, I dreamed of Harry dying in the Chamber of Secrets at the Dark Lord's hands...


	14. Chapter 14

Harry

"Are you sure this potion will work?" Harry asked, taking the potion from his older brother. He had felt uneasy about taking polyjuice potion ever since Hermione became petrified. But with the potion ready and the hairs collected, there really was no turning back at this point; he had to see this through for Hermione's sake. 

Ron didn't like taking the polyjuice potion, because Sebastian made it. He still didn't trust Sebastian and it was starting to grate on Harry's nerves.

"Of course, it will work," Sebastian assured them. "Besides, this batch Hermione made herself."

"Then what's this other stuff for?" Ron asked, and pointed at another vial that was ready to be used. 

"An experiment," Sebastian explained, "For years, potions masters have debated on whether boomslang skins or chameleon skins will work to create the chemical camouflage aspect of the potion. Before Hermione's attack, we aimed to conduct the experiment together, but seeing as how she can't, I was wondering if one of you will take it."

Harry grasped what his brother said, and replied, "Um, not that I find potions cool or anything, but that would be kind of cool if you didn't have to shed scales off a snake hide to put in this stuff."

Sebastian smiled, "I thought so. It's still a fairly rare ingredient, but I just want to prove I can do it; to step outside the box, so to speak."

"What box?" Ron asked, "I don't see a box here. What are you talking about?"

"It's a metaphorical box, Ron," Harry answered. He took Sebastian's potion, and added Crabbe's hair. Ron added Goyle's hair, and they both drank. The potion was thick and tasted like a mixture of snot, piss, and gum that lost its flavor a long time ago. 

Ron, instead, began to turn into a weird, misshapen dog. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Sebastian laughed as well, but started writing notes. 

"Interesting," Sebastian chuckled, "You look like freaking Fang. Apparently, my potion does work, but like the original formulation, you have to be specific in the type of hair you use. If I'm right, you will turn into Fang in one...two...three..."

"Harry! Awwooo!" Ron howled, and then began dog panting. Ron's body completely turned into the bull mastif that Hagrid owned, even down to the slobber.

"Is he going to be okay?" Harry asked, using Crabbe's voice.

Sebastian put down his notes, "Yes, he will. Do you have his uniform?"

"Yeah."  
"Okay, go put it on." Harry did, and Sebastian straightened his tie, and said, "Draco likes to chat with people in the main common room at this hour, so be quick. The password is flippity jibbet. Do I need to show you where the Slytherin common room is?"

"Yeah."  
"Okay, follow me. Ron, stay here," Sebastian instructed. "I will get my dad to look after you."

Ron began barking, and if this wasn't so serious, he would be on the floor laughing about how funny it was that his best friend turned into a dog one night. Harry followed Sebastian, and he gave the excuse that Goyle was passed out in the Great Hall from pigging out. Sebastian left, and the next time he saw Ron he was in the hospital ward close to Hermione.

The Slytherin common room had a cool, dark elegance to it that he had to admit that he liked. Occasionally, the giant squid would swim by the thick aquarium wall, and a fire was roaring in the main fireplace, giving the room a nice warmth to it. Draco was studying for an arithmancy exam, and he had to pretend to be an absolute idiot to pass as Crabbe. 

"Hey, Draco," He said.   
Draco looked up from his work and asked, "Where's Goyle?"

"I dunno," Harry said, shrugging his broad shoulders. "So, um, do you like...know who's attackin' them mudbloods, and ghosts n' stuff?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "You know I don't, Crabbe. But I suspect it's Saint Potter. You saw how he talked to that snake before Professor Snape burned it. Ugh, even my god brother has been drinking the poisoned kool aid. Aw, but I guess he kinda has to, cause' Potter's his brother and all. You know, I offered friendship for Bastian's sake, but Potter decided to run with the hicks instead. Oh well, we could have been cool together."

Harry was stunned by Draco's confession. He had assumed that Draco was just being a jerk. He had no idea that his offer of friendship had been genuine. 

"Soo, are you sure you have no idea who opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry pressed.

"No, I don't," Draco said, slightly annoyed, "But my father did say that whoever did it fifty years ago was expelled, and it was a big scandal, because Hogwarts doesn't have too many deaths, shocking, I know."

Harry faked a yawn. "Well, I'm tired. You goin' to bed?"

"Yeah, in a bit," Draco said. Harry sneaked past the boys dormitories, which resembled doors to apartment units. Of course, the snakes would have their own rooms. 

He rushed back to the potions lab, and Professor Snape and Sebastian were in a deep discussion. He cleared his throat, and Snape whirled around, facing him down. 

"Where are the students you and Mr. Weasley were trying to imitate?" Snape asked.

Harry felt himself change back, and he said, "By the boar statue going into the Great Hall. Am I in trouble sir?"

An evil glint came into the potions master's black eyes, "Why, yes, you are Potter. Thirty points from Gryffindor and detentions for...two months, I believe is sufficient."

"That's not fair, sir!"   
"Oh? Would you like to make it more, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked, smirking. 

"No, sir," Harry replied.  
"Good. Run along, Potter."

Harry and Sebastian continued their discussion and he felt a bit of resentment that Sebastian even had a living parent. Granted, his father was eccentric as hell, and wasn't the warmest wizard in the world, but at least Harry knew that Snape loved his son. One thing he did know was that the Slytherins had no idea who opened the Chamber of Secrets last time, and that he could have had an awesome friend in Slytherin if he had just accepted Draco's offer of friendship when he offered it. 

He got back to Gryffindor tower, and searched around for Tom Riddle's diary, only it was nowhere to be found. The question was...who took the diary, and why?


	15. Chapter 15

Harry

A week. It has been a week since I last saw Ginny Weasley, and even then she had been acting weird, and not her usual energetic self. I know that it has something to do with Tom Riddle's diary, but where would she have taken it, and why? Ron was released from the hospital after both Snapes worked on him to get him back to a human shape again. But I suspected that they secretly found it funny that Ron had managed to find dog hair in the school to begin with. 

Draco and his friends began their bullying in earnest, but I was pleased that my brother never participated in the bullying, not even when urged to do so. I went to go see Sebastian, and found him by the black lake sketching as if in a trance. He was drawing an older Hermione in a garden, picking flowers to put in a basket, and looking, well, very pretty. Sebastian drew a slight swell to her belly, and shaded it in. His eyes seemed unfocused, but bent in deep concentration on his work. When he was done, he gasped, and he began to breathe more regularly.

"What the...no, it cannot be," He murmured, staring at the sketch pad as if seeing it for the first time. 

I cleared my throat, and he whirled around to face me, startled. "Hey, Harry. I...I did not see you there."

"Is that Hermione you're drawing?" I asked, knowing damn well that it was, but I didn't want him to know how long I had been watching him draw with charcoal. 

"Yeah, I..." Sebastian stammered, "I only do it when I have a waking vision, and I have to draw it. Ever since I got here, it has been about her, and this vision was one of my most lucid."

He sounded absolutely crazy, but I decided to hear him out. "She looks pregnant," I pointed out. I did not like the warm smile he gave as he looked over the sketch. 

"Yeah. But I think this happens after school," He explained, "But...she's never been drawn that way before. But before this vision, I had one of you, Harry."

He flipped the picture over to one where a huge snake was eating me whole. Blood was everywhere, and Ginny...Ginny was a corpse as well. Voldemort was restored to power through his teenaged self. I slammed the sketch pad shut, shaking.

Sebastian simply hugged me, and I hugged back. "Does..does Professor Snape know that you can see stuff like this?"

"Yes. And I know that your parseltongue ability stems from the Dark Lord," Sebastian answered, "If he should be killed, gods willing, you will lose that ability. I told as much to my father, and he was relieved."

"Why would your father give a damn about me, Bastian?" I asked defensively. I didn't know what to feel in that moment, but I knew that I didn't like someone like Professor Snape actually caring for me in any shape or form.

Sebastian sighed, cleaning off his hands, and putting his art supplies away in his book bag. "Contrary to what the entire school believes, my father does, in fact, have a heart, and he loved our mother fiercely. He may not be able to show it to you, because of your father, but he cares nonetheless. Now, I have to get to divination. I will see you later, brother."

He stood up, dusted off his robes, and walked away while carrying his school supplies with him.

I found Ron playing gobstones with some of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and when we were alone he asked, "So, what does junior bat say about what happened to Ginny?"

"Nothing good," I said, and filled him in on what Sebastian suspects was down in the dungeons. I didn't tell my best friend that my brother was sketching pictures of Hermione happy and pregnant with what I could only assume was his child, or the fact that my brother was probably more psychic than Professor Trelawny. 

A fierce determination came into Ron's blue eyes, "Then we have to get Ginny out of the Chamber of Secrets, and if Lockhart won't help us, I know that your brother certainly will."

I nodded, glad to have some kind of plan at last. We went to the DADA classroom, and I heard shouting from Lockhart, and my brother. 

Ron and I ducked our heads in, and I cast with my wand, "Relashio!" 

Ropes wrapped themselves tightly around Professor Lockhart, and Sebastian grinned wolfishly, "Thank you, Harry. The damned fool didn't want to help me after I suggested that he do the right thing and help me save Ginny Weasley's life."

Ron crossed his arms over his chest, "This changes nothing between us, dungeon rat."

"Fine, Fido," Sebastian shot back. "But unlike this idiot, I'm not afraid to do the right thing. Besides, if I weren't helping you this entire time, both of you would probably be dead by now, starting with that stupid mountain troll first year. Oh, and gee, who kept you from going to detention with that polyjuice potion stunt? Oh my, I do believe it was me."

Sebastian tilted Ron's chin to look at him, and I could see his father in him, even his voice became like his dad's when he said, "Listen to me, Weasley, and listen well: I don't give a fuck about you, and your blood traitor hick family. But my brother is friends with your family, and with Ginny. Now, I also don't give a shit that you don't like me. Go cry your blue collar redneck woes to someone who cares. But like it or not, I am Harry's _brother_ , and I will help him in any way I possibly can."

I was stunned by my brother's speech, but I wasn't entirely surprised either. I just wasn't aware of how deep his earlier life among the Malfoys had shaped him until that moment. 

"You're still an asshole git," Ron had the stupid audacity to shoot back. "We'll never be friends, I hope you know that."

"Good," Sebastian said, and knelt down, and helped Lockhart up and freed him. "Now, walk. And don't you dare think about running either, or you will not like the consequences."

Lockhart began to quell with fear, "My, my, you really are a Snape, aren't you?"

"No, I'm a Prince," Sebastian corrected, "Now, move your ass. I will not repeat myself further."

Lockhart moved, and we walked into the third floor girl's bathroom. I felt a stark realization that this was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. I went to the sink, and found a silver Slytherin snake emblem carved into the side of one of the sinks. 

"Open, and reveal yourself to us," I said automatically in parseltongue. I stepped back as the sinks sunk down into the floor, and a huge stone pipe was revealed. The hole smelled like death and decay, and I suddenly didn't want to go down there, Ginny or no Ginny. 

Lockhart tried to escape and Sebastian pushed him into the hole hard. Lockhart let out an alarmed yelp, and then his voice floated back up to us, "It's really very filthy down here."

Ron and I debated on who should go next. Sebastian laughed, "Really? You're debating this? Who is the real Gryffindor here now? What are you afraid of?"

"Breaking my leg on a bed of spikes doesn't appeal to me, thank you very much," I spat back. 

Sebastian laughed, "Where is your sense of adventure, Potter? Come on, it will be fun."

He jumped into the hole, and Ron and I followed. Sebastian had somersaulted nimbly down the stone slide, but Ron ended up falling into the snake skins of the serpent creature that was living in the cisterns of Hogwarts. Sebastian dusted himself off, and helped Ron up. Ron slapped his hand away and stood up himself.   
Lockhart pretended to be lame, and snatched Ron's wand from him, not realizing that it had been broken all year, and he needed a new one. 

"The adventure ends here, boys," Lockhart said, glaring at us all. "But don't fret. You will all be in my next book. I will write how I was too late to save the girl. How you boys lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body, and I will write how I saved the Chosen One from death at the hands of the fiercesome snake. So, say good bye, to your memories. Obliviate!" 

Sebastian put up a magical ward, but he need not have bothered, because the spell backfired, and it hit Lockhart instead. The force of his shout made the walls crash down around us, but Sebastian grabbed my hand and we rushed to the other side. Ron was trapped on the other side.

"Harry!" Ron yelled.  
"Ron!" I yelled back. I heard Lockhart mumble something, and Ron said, "The memory charm backfired, Harry. Lockhart doesn't have a clue who he is."

"Okay, stay with him," I said, thinking quickly. "Sebastian and I will go on ahead, and kill this basilisk thing, and send help for you guys."

"Alright," Ron said, "Be careful, mate."

"I will."  
"Okay, cool. See ya."

I walked with my older brother until we got to a sewer door with a huge circular door with carved snakes as hinges. I had no clue how I was able to say the phrase to open up the door, but I did. We stood back, and the snakes retracted as we could hear the lock tumblers unlock from within. The door slid open, and I looked at my brother. He nodded, and I nodded back. 

The chamber itself was huge with carved bearded Poseidon-like faces pumping out water into pipes that serviced the entire castle. My lightning scar began to itch and ache something fierce as I saw a wizard boy who looked to be a sixth year, leaning over Ginny Weasley's body. The black leather diary of Tom Riddle lay beside her, and when he turned to face us, his face curled into a sneer when he saw Sebastian.

"Ah, the Prince hiding in plain sight," The green eyed teen wizard said mockingly, "I didn't think that Severus even liked girls enough to even have a son."

Sebastian kept his face impassive, "So, you're Tom Riddle. I must say, I expected...more. Much more. I imagine there is much about my father you do not know."

Tom approached Sebastian and looked over his uniform. "A Slytherin to your core. Good. Let me make a deal with you: you can allow me to kill Harry Potter, or die by his side. Your choice, Prince. I leave his fate in your hands."

"And what is to stop you from killing me later if I go along with this plan?" Sebastian asked. I didn't like this, but I figured that this was how Slytherins interacted, and I was getting a lesson in this. 

Tom Riddle laughed coldly, "Why, nothing, of course. You will just have to trust me. But why would you want to keep him alive? His father was a bully and a rapist. Much like any deatheater, only he chose to hide behind...respectability instead."

I could tell that some of Tom Riddle's words were getting to him. But I had no idea that I had been a child of rape until this moment. I couldn't breathe for a long time, I was so shocked. 

"Don't listen to him, Sebastian!" I pleaded. "Please. Think of Ginny, think of Hermione."

Sebastian said nothing for a long time, but it seemed to snap him out of whatever daze he happened to be in. He winked at me, and I felt reassured. 

"My brother's father was evil," Sebastian reasoned, "But so are _you_ , Voldemort. And I will _not_ sacrifice a part of my blood to satisfy any axe I might want to grind against James Potter."

"So be it...blood traitor," Voldemort said coldly. He spoke parseltongue to the fountain wall behind him, and a giant basilisk came out of the wall. Sebastian and I took off running in either direction, and it was in that moment that I began to trust my half-brother completely, and would do so all of my life after that awful, fateful night....


	16. Chapter 16

Sebastian

I lost track of Harry after we made our way down the maze of tunnels. The basilisk was hard on our trail and I ducked into a pipe, and made my way out into the dungeons. My father was on patrol, and he took in my dirty uniform and hair, and demanded to know what the hell was going on. I filled him in, leaving nothing out. 

"Let's go play hero then," He grumbled, and dashed into his quarters to take off his teaching robe. He had his wand in hand, and my wand hummed in response, since they were twins of each other. 

I showed my father where the Chamber of Secrets opened up, and we jumped down without hesitation. I felt stronger now that my father was with me. We entered into a chaotic scene where Harry was doing battle with the giant snake, and he had a long, thin sword in his hand, slashing at the basilisk as it hissed and tried to kill him. 

Tom Riddle chuckled as he calmly watched over Ginny Weasley. "Severus, how nice of you to join the party. The resemblances between you and your son are striking."

"Command your beast to cease its attacks," My father threatened coldly. "Or I will kill it myself."

Tom Riddle lifted up his hand, and twisted his fingers. My father clutched his left forearm, and began to scream in pain. I felt a burning rage well up in my chest. 

I saw nothing but red as I pointed my wand at the basilisk and bellowed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!!" 

The snake let out a screeching hiss as I let loose other torture curses much more damaging to a victim than the killing curse. The basilisk fell like a bloody stone, and Harry went flying. "Arresto Momentum," I cast with my wand.

Tom Riddle took out his bone white wand, and rage contorted his youthful features. I tucked mine away. "Fuck wands. Come fight me like a man."

Tom Riddle laughed, "Oh, how fascinating. Well, let's see how you feel about that when I kill your mudblood loving father."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Kill him. He means nothing to me. But I'm still going to kick your ass for harming my brother and mother."

Voldemort moved to kill my father, but I blocked his spell with a strong ward. He lifted up his wand again to strike, but I punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Blood gushed out, and that was when I was able to get Riddle to release his hold on my father. My father rushed to Ginny and Harry's side, and I lost track of what was happening on their front.

Voldemort began punching at me, and the fight soon turned into an ugly brawl as we beat each other to a bloody pulp. But I was more skilled, more patient, even though his skill set was a boxer. I swept out his knees, and he landed hard on his back. 

My father grabbed the diary, and grabbed a basilisk fang, and stabbed it. Tom Riddle looked down, and saw a hole had opened up in him as wide as a bullet wound. He gave my father a look of mixed hurt and enraged betrayal etched on his face. My father smirked, "Consider this my resignation from your little boys club...my Lord."

He closed the book, and stabbed the diary again hard. The specter that was Tom Riddle began to split apart, and he screamed, "THIS IS NOT OVER, YOU BLOOD TRAITORS!!" 

The specter dematerialized and became nothing. Black blood dripped from the black leather diary, and my father collapsed to his knees. I went to him, and he hugged me tightly. I cried against him like a child, and he held me against his chest for a long time.

Ginny Weasley gasped for air, and began talking to Harry. I went to Ginny, and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," She said, and began to cry, "Thank you, Sebastian! Thank all of you!"

I hugged her lightly, realizing how beat up I was. I had a bruised rib or two. But Harry was in a bad way, because the basilisk had bit him at some point during the battle, and he had dropped the sword of Gryffindor in his fight. 

Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix flew in and healed all of us. My father took charge, seeing as he was one of the few people not overly physically injured in the battle. Fawkes flew Lockhart out of the dungeons, and everyone was sent to the hospital ward. 

I had a bed next to Hermione, and she appeared to be sleeping more naturally, having been revived earlier that day by Madame Pomfrey. I had to stay in the hospital for a month, because apparently, three of my ribs were cracked, and I had to drink skele-gro potion to build up those bones. It tasted disgusting as hell, but I drank it to get better. 

Hermione visited me often, and we would talk and study together while I healed up. Sometimes my Slytherin friends would show up, but it was mostly Harry or Hermione that would visit. I had more candy than I could stomach, and my hospital area looked like a florist shop, but it was Hermione's company that I treasured the most. 

My father came to me, and sat on the edge of my bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked, eating an every flavor jelly bean. 

I sat up, and shrugged, "As well as can be expected for punching the Dark Lord out. He managed to crack three of my ribs, though. I just...I kind of lost control when he hurt you through your Dark Mark. You're not mad at me, are you?"

My father shook his head, "No, why would I be? You managed to get in a fist fight with one of the darkest wizards in our history, that took a lot of balls. I wouldn't have been able to do that at your age."

"How is Harry?"  
"Recovering from the poison," My father said, shrugging, "I isolated some of the basilisk venom for further potion use, of course. It's incredibly useful in poison ingredients, as you are aware."

I chuckled, "Well, yeah. I read at a potions master level, so of course I know it. It helps that my dad is awesome at potions."

He patted my hand. "You're one of the few that have the predisposition for the subject. I would expect nothing less from a son of mine."

I smiled warmly. I knew most people thought my father was this cold hard case, but I understood him, and I didn't need to be told that he loved me to know that he did. 

"Yeah, but you're still a candy hog," I teased. "Are you going to share, or eat them all in front of me?"

My father grinned, his black eyes sparkling, "Perish the thought. Let's see what flavor you draw."

I picked out a red jellybean, and chewed on it. "Apple, yum. You next."

"Ear wax, eww," He said.  
"Serves you right for being a candy hog," I said, smiling. I snatched back the candy box, and managed to bite into a vomit flavored one. I spit it out on the floor. 

My father took it back and set it aside. "That bad?"

"Vomit flavored."

  
"Yes, that is bad. Well, I have a meeting to attend to," My father said, giving my hand a small squeeze before leaving the room.

  
When I was released at the end of the month, Draco hosted a party for me, and I would have had a perfect time if I had been allowed to invite Hermione. What in the world was I going to do with her? It was becoming apparent that I was developing feelings for her, but I had cut off any chances of romance between us when I insisted that we couldn't be more than friends. But time heals all wounds, and hopefully, we can find our way back to each other in time...


	17. Chapter 17

Harry

He couldn't believe that he was being punished by having to live with the Malfoys, instead of the Weasley's. But since they were on holiday in Egypt, he really had no other place to go. What was he going to do? Go back to the Dursleys? No freaking way. 

The mansion loomed before him as he got out of the limousine they sent for him and house elves popped in and carted off his stuff to a guest room, he assumed, although he could never be sure with the Malfoys. He lifted the elaborate gargoyle door knocker, and knocked on the door. Locks were unlocked from within, and a house elf looked him up and down in a disapproving way.

"Ah. You must be Master Potter," The house elf croaked. "We have been expecting you. Master Draco is in the theater room if you wish to interact. Master Sebastian is in the potions lab with Master Severus. Where would you like to go?"

"The theater room, I guess," Harry said, not sure what to say. He certainly didn't want to disturb the Snapes, they were working on...stuff. 

The house elf shook his head, and sighed, "Right this way, then, sir."

Harry tried to follow where the elf was taking him, but he lost count of the corridors at four. The house elf stopped at an elaborate red door, and left him there. He went in, and the room was dark, but he could see there was a horror film on the huge screen, and Draco was laughing.

"No, idiot!" Draco yelled, "The killer is in the freaking garage. Go the other damn way!" 

Harry cleared his throat. Draco looked up at him, and said, "Hey Potter. Pull up a chair, I'm watching Scream. Your brother is in the lab with his dad doing god's know what."

Harry sat in the other theater chair, and asked, "Do you have any theater snacks?"

"Yep, just snap your fingers," Draco said, and sipped his soda while palming a milk dud. 

Harry snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared. Harry ordered a coke, popcorn, and some ju ju bees. The elf soon brought his stuff to him, and he was yelling at the screen along with Draco. 

Draco giggled at the killer review, "Ah, the boyfriend is the killer. How cliche is that?"

Harry chuckled, "Yeah, but didn't his girlfriend like cheat on him or something?"

Draco shrugged, "Yeah, well, at least this movie wasn't made by wizards. If it was, there would be some unforgivable curses thrown in, and deatheaters would be like the killer's helpers. Whatever...Soo, I heard you blew up your Aunt. How'd that go over with Fudge?"

Harry felt weird confiding in his bully from school, but since Draco was going to be civil for once, he decided to talk about it.

Draco laughed, smirking, "It looks like the fat muggle got what she deserved then. Soo, I guess you're staying here."

"Yeah. It's weird."  
"Yeah, it is," Draco shrugged, "But look, just cause' I think you're a major douche, doesn't mean I can treat you bad in my own home, and your brother's family anyway, so I guess we can call a truce until we get to school."

Harry rolled his eyes, and shook hands with his number one rival at school. "Can I ask why you think Sebastian's cool, and I'm not?"

"Well, he knows my world, and he's Snape's son," Draco explained, digging into his half finished milk duds. "You...Well...okay, normally I would jerk your chain about it, but I'll come clean with you for the sake of our truce: frankly, Potter, your muggle upbringing kinda makes it impossible for us to really get along. Sure, your dad came from my world, but your mum...well, let's just say it's one of the only reasons I haven't asked Granger out."

This was a deep revelation! Draco liked Hermione, but then again...didn't Sebastian as well? Sure, he was a bit older than her, but she kind of liked older wizards, he found out from Ginny. "And the other?" He pressed.

Draco blushed, "Sebastian like totally loves her. No joke. I've seen some of his sketches of her. I showed a few to my dad, and he smiled and said there were other fish in the sea."

"Okay, my brother loves my best friend," Harry shrugged, "Big deal. I never see them together, so obviously Hermione doesn't know about it or--"

"They're waiting for age to not be an issue. I guess?" Draco interrupted, turning on the theater room lights. They stinged Harry's eyes after being in the dark for so long. He put up a hand to shield his eyes for a moment. 

A chime sounded on an intercom. Draco answered it, "Yeah, what's up, loser?"

"Are you done binge watching gods awful 90's scare flicks?" Sebastian asked, chuckling. "Your mum says dinner is ready in the dining room. Is Harry there with you?"

Draco let him through to the intercom. "Yeah, I just got here," He said, "What were you doing in the lab?"

Sebastian sighed, "None of your business, Harry. Suffice to say, I was assisting my father. I'll see you two in a little bit."

"Is he always a jerk here?"  
"Nah, he's cool," Draco said, "He's just kind of under a lot of stress with his NEWT classes coming up, and other crap he's doing with his dad and my dad too. If Granger shows up, just watch him change his tune just for her."

  
Harry looked at his jeans and plaid shirt, and felt really underdressed. "Um, is it okay if I have dinner wearing this? I didn't expect a fancy meal."

Draco waved his hands dismissively, "It's cool. We don't get super fancy around here unless it's a party, or some other event. Come on, I'll show you where the dining room is."

Harry followed Draco as they left the theater room, and went from one beautiful, opulent room after another until he came to a rather dark, medieval looking room where twenty people could sit. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy sat at opposite ends of the table. Sebastian sat next to his father, which left Harry to sit next to Draco on the other side of the table. Some tomato looking soup with freshly baked bread appeared before him, and a house elf poured him a glass of water into a crystal water glass.

Professor Snape drank a glass of red wine, and Sebastian had a glass as well. Seeing the two Snapes sitting side by side, there could be no mistaking that Sebastian was Snape's son, even their mannerisms were similar.

A house elf popped in next to Narcissa Malfoy, and whispered something in her ear. "Yes...well, show the ladies in, why don't you?" She ordered curtly.

"Yes, Mistress," The female elf squeaked.

Narcissa dabbled her mouth delicately, and turned to Sebastian, "Miss. Granger has arrived with Miss. Greengrass. Ashley, I believe? It's difficult to tell with those two, honestly."

Sebastian beamed with happiness. "C-can I go to welcome Hermione, Aunt Narcissa?"

She scowled, "Certainly not, Sebastian. You will await her like the proper wizard I raised you to be."

"Yes, Aunt Narcissa."  
Mr. Malfoy chuckled, "Oh, good gods boy. Your infatuation is all but transparent."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and blushed, "Yes, well, I wasn't enthused with Draco's ex hanging on me for dear life, Uncle. No offense, brother."

Draco set down his spoon. "None taken. Ashley's more my cup of tea anyway."

"And do you have a love interest, Mr. Potter?" Mrs. Malfoy asked, startling the black haired, glasses wearing wizard. He had almost forgotten he was a part of the dinner party as he finished his soup.

"Um, no one at the moment."  
"That's cause' Potter hasn't asked Weaslette yet. Isn't that right, Potter?" Draco goaded him.

Harry turned bright red, embarrased. "Um, well, I...No, um, not in so many words, no."

Oh gods, what was he going to say about how he kind of liked...Ron and Ginny? It made no sense, really. Snape took a sip of his wine, and Harry could swear that his potions teacher was laughing at him.

"Oh, do stop pestering the boy, Draco," Snape said dryly, "It is clear that he wishes to keep some details of his life private."

"Umm, thank you, sir?"  
"I do not require your gratitude, Potter," Snape replied curtly.

Pretty blonde Ashley Greengrass arrived, and she flung her arms around Draco, hugging him tightly. He hugged back, beaming. Sebastian rose to greet Hermione, and Harry was stunned when his brother kissed her hand. Hermione sat next to Sebastian, and they chatted quietly together, lost in their own little world.

Snape caught his eye, and nodded. He nodded back. The salad arrived soon after, and then the main course of steak, potatos, and asparagus. Everything was delicious, and tasted homemade, nothing store bought or from a restaurant. When the cheesecake was served as dessert, Harry felt almost sick how Hermione and his brother fed pieces of the cake to each other.

When dinner was over, the adults went off for their own nightcap. Hermione and Sebastian went off into the gardens, and Ashley kissed Draco good night, saying she needed her beauty rest.

"What did I tell you about those two?" Draco asked, startling him. "I wish he'd just buck up and ask Granger out already. It's not like anyone cares about the age difference, anyway."

Harry nodded, "Are they always so...um, sick together?"

Draco laughed, "Oh, yeah. It's why my dad teases him somewhat. He likes that Bastian is happy, and stuff, but with this Sirius Black thing...yeah, he just wants them to be careful."

Draco caught on to his ignorance, and chuckled, "Accio Daily Prophet."

The latest issue of The Daily Prophet flew into Harry's hands. On the cover was a dark haired, crazed looking wizard who apparently escaped from Azkaban four months ago. A dread settled into the pit of his stomach as he figured out why he was brought to Malfoy Manor, instead of being allowed to remain with the Dursleys. Of course, it all made perfect sense now. Harry handed the newspaper back to Draco with shaking hands.

"Great, and now the psycho is after me...I think," Harry surmised. "Gee, and I thought classes was going to be the most nervewracking thing this year. Well, I'm going to bed. But...I have no idea where to go."

"I'll show you," Draco said. He showed him to his room, and Harry told him to wait. Draco did.

"When your mum asked if I liked anyone, I kinda lied," Harry confessed.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Aww, man, don't tell me you're going all gay for me, right?"

"No, not you, dork," Harry grinned, "But I kinda like Ginny and Ron. Is that weird?"

Draco laughed, and shook his head, "Nah, it just means you play for both teams is all. Try it with Weaslette first...you know, kiss her and see where that goes. If it feels weird, you definitely want Weasel more, but if not...well, that's your own issues. I've got my own with Ashley. But if you were going gay for me, just know I don't kiss dudes. No offense, but it does nothing for me, k, Potter?"

Harry laughed, and they shook hands. He explored his fancy guest room and adjoining bathroom, and found it a shame that they couldn't be friends at school, because Draco was kind of cool in his own snobby way, he just never noticed it before.

He felt weird sleeping in Malfoy Manor, but after a hot bath, and getting ready for bed, he felt relaxed enough to sleep. Little did he know just how bizarre his school year was going to get once he got back to Hogwarts officially...


	18. Chapter 18

Hermione

The night sky was filled with stars as I walked beside Sebastian. Ever since he decided that we should just remain friends, he has been avoiding me, and using his studies as an excuse. I mean, we get along and everything, and I am so glad that I don't have to help with his homework like I do with Harry and Ron, but I honestly wish that he would talk to me.

I miss his carefree, cavalier smile, the way he laughs as if he is afraid of being overheard in a library. Hell, I just miss _him_. I found it a bit strange that he would invite me over to Malfoy Manor when I am as far from being friendly with them as a person can get. But Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were gracious hosts, even if it was weird to have both Snapes in the same room together. 

I also felt a bit guilty to have not said a word to Harry, because Sebastian was discussing some of his potions research, to which Professor Snape took an interest and discussed at length with us. Of course, this went way over everyone else's heads as we debated on different potions ingredients. It was weird to see a little bit behind Professor Snape's cold facade, but I knew it was only because we weren't in school that he was being more open. 

All through dinner, Sebastian and I played footsie, and when raspberry cheesecake was brought out we fed each other our slices. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest as we stared at each other, and shared a spoon. I blushed because our mouths had been on that same spoon, and it was tantamount to us kissing in front of everyone. 

"Would you mind taking a turn with me in the gardens, Hermione?" Bastian asked, after dessert was over. 

Snape winked at his son, and nodded grimly. Sebastian smiled, and kissed my hand. _Oh wow, why does he have to be so freaking cute??_ I thought. 

"Sure. But don't we have to get up in the morning for school?" I asked lamely. 

He looked at his watch, and said, "Relax. We both have time turners, remember? Besides, there is something I want to say to you alone. And it's why I've been avoiding you."

"Okay," I found myself agreeing. I took his hand, and he laced his fingers through mine. We went outside, and I had to put on a coat, because it was a bit chilly outside. We walked down the manicured garden pathways in silence for a while until we came to a mermaid fountain.

Sebastian sat beside me on one of the marble benches and said softly, "I can't avoid you any more, Hermione. I've tried, and I tried to bury myself in work, and my friends. I thought if I just thought of you as a friend...if I did it long enough that that would be true of you, but...but I just can't with you."

He was looking at me now with tears in his eyes. "Sebastian, I'm not following. You tell me you don't want to date, and then avoid me for weeks. I don't know what to think of that, and...you know how much I _like_ you. How much I really, really click with you and--"

"I don't like you, Hermione."  
My heart felt like he had crushed it in his chest, but when I began to cry, he caressed my cheek and added, "I don't like you, Hermione. I _love_ you."

"Sebastian..."  
"It's why I have been avoiding you," He said, tracing my lips with a thumb, "Why I was trying to give us both space, and to concentrate on school, and our lives. But I cannot pretend that I do not love you when I do, not any more. Please say you feel the same, Hermione, because I see it in your eyes, even the way you look at me speaks volumes to me about your heart."

"W-what changed your mind?"  
"The fact that you came here tonight," He said, inching closer to me. "That you are here with me now. There is something between us, something deep, and I want nothing more than to be with you."

I shyly touched his clean shaven cheek, and ran my fingers through his soft black hair. I cried, "Yes, Bastian. I...I love you. But what will people think?"

"I don't care, darling. We're almost of age any way, because of our time turners," Sebastian said, kissing me lightly. 

"I don't look it, though."  
"You will in time, but I don't care about that," He whispered, "I care about your heart. I only ask if I have it."

I pressed my lips to his, and he kissed me back, drawing me into his lap so I was straddled over his hips. I felt a rain drop touch my cheek, then another. 

Amber met black as we stared at each other, "You have my heart, my Prince. Always."

"Always," He breathed, running his hands up and down my waist. "But um, we may have to wait to make out, it's starting to rain."

I looked around and laughed. "Damn, and I thought I was going to get my steamy kiss in the rain."

Sebastian laughed, "Oh? Is that a request from my lady?"

"Yes, it is."  
"Good. Let's go."

We ran through the gardens until we got to the steps of the mansion. Sebastian turned to me, and picked me up, and pinned me against the stone wall. I wrapped my legs around him, and he claimed my mouth, diving his tongue into my mouth, and I kissed back, feeling sparks run from his mouth to mine as he ran his mouth down my throat, and nipping me slightly. 

"Ohh, Sebastian..."  
"Mmm, you taste good, babe, so good," He murmured, licking up my throat to tease my lips with his tongue seeking entrance. I felt my insides turn to mush as the rain fell harder on us, and our hands exploring each other. Our tongues dueled one another as we kissed harder. 

His hands caressed my bottom as his hips ground his erection into me. "Hermione..." He gasped, his breathing ragged, "We have to stop before we do something we're both not ready for."

"W-why?" I whined.  
He lifted me down, and I ground my hips into him, wanting...I didn't know what it was at the time, only it was something my body desperately wanted from him. 

He gave me one final kiss, and said softly, "I want to make it special for when we do make love. But we will make out, and explore what we both like, how about that?"

I felt my cheeks heating up, but agreed that now wouldn't be a good time to be having sex, especially with the Malfoys around. "It sounds good," I agreed. 

We parted ways at the grand staircase, and I went to my room and he went to his further down the hallway. I took a warm bath, got ready for bed, and got into bed smiling. I wished that I could have Sebastian with me to snuggle with, but I knew it would happen with time, I could feel it. Little did I know just how much the time turner would help me in all manner of ways at this time...


	19. Chapter 19

Harry

Everyone got up early at Malfoy Manor to meet the train on time for the Hogwarts Express, and Harry knew that this reprieve from being bullied by Draco Malfoy was coming to an end. But the part that disturbed him more was that Hermione and Sebastian seemed to be growing closer. The entire limo ride, they sat together holding hands, and laughing at jokes that were only funny to them. Occasionally, he would kiss her hands, and she would blush. 

When they got out of the limo, Hermione said, "Harry, would you excuse us? I have to say goodbye to Sebastian."

"Um, sure?"  
"Thanks!"   
He watched them walk off, and disappear around a corner once they all came to platform 9 3/4.

Draco sneered, "I thought they would never leave. Ugh, it's sickening watching them!"

"And you're not the same with Ashley Greengrass?" Harry retorted. 

"Aw, are you jealous Potter?" Draco smirked, "Want me to kiss you and make it all better again?"

"Eww, no!"  
"Yeah, thought so. Well, so long, loser," Draco said, brushing past him, rudely to go meet up with his Slytherin friends. Ron soon met up with him with the other Weasley's, for which he was very grateful, because it saved him worrying about where Hermione was with his brother. 

Mrs. Weasley squealed when she ran to him and hugged him tight. "Harry! Oh, my dear boy. How are you?! You look well, dear. But where is Hermione?"

Harry shrugged, "With Sebastian. She said she had to say goodbye to him, but I don't get it, they were chatting non stop all morning on the way over here. What else could they possibly say to one another?"

Mrs. Weasley beamed with happiness, "Aw, Harry. You'll understand once it happens to you, dear."

"When what happens?"  
"Never mind, dear. You'll see."

Mr. Weasley got done scolding his sons for something they did while on holiday, and said, "Harry. Can I have a word with you in private?" 

Harry nodded, and they ducked out of earshot of everyone. "Have you heard about Sirius Black yet?" Mr. Weasley asked. 

"Yeah, I read the article," Harry said, wishing that he would get to the point already. "But I still don't see what this has to do with me beyond him wishing to kill me or my brother."

Arthur Weasley sighed, and shook his head, "The Ministry believes that ever since You Know Who was defeated, that Black has been biding his time, and now that he has escaped from Azkaban, he will stop at nothing to prove his worthiness to serve You Know Who by either trying to recruit your half-brother, or kill you both outright."

"So why tell me? Shouldn't Sebastian be hearing this as well if it's so important?" Harry asked, suspicious.

Mr. Weasley flushed with embarrassment as he murmured, "Well, I'm a bit more concerned about you, frankly. He seems to be a boy who can handle himself in a fight. Plus, he is only Snape's son, after all."

Harry didn't know what the hell that had to do with anything. He didn't care that Sebastian didn't share the same father as him, he was still his brother. 

Harry crossed his arms across his chest, "So what? He may be a Slytherin, but he's still my brother. He saved my life in the Chamber of Secrets. I wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for him and Professor Snape."

Mr. Weasley's eyes widened, "I...I did not hear that Professor Snape was there as well," He said in awe, "So that must be why you spent the rest of the holiday at the Malfoy's. I'm sorry, Harry. But these are dark times, indeed. I want you both to stay on your guard, and whatever you do, you must promise me that you won't go looking for Black."

"Mr. Weasley. Why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?" Harry asked, mystified. 

"Just promise me, Harry."  
"Okay, I promise."  
"Thank you, Harry."

They walked back to the rest of the Weasley clan, and Harry boarded the train with Ron. Hermione soon joined them alone in their cabin, and she looked like she was radiant with happiness. Her lips looked a little swollen, and there was a noticeable bruise along the right side of her neck. Did Sebastian beat her? What the heck was going on with her and his brother? 

A sleeping wizard with scars on his face, and messy brown hair was curled up on one of the seats, huddled under his cloak as a blanket. "Who's this guy?" Ron asked rudely.

"Professor R.J Lupin," Hermione said, sitting down, and freeing her cat Crookshanks from his pet carrier. 

"How do you know that?" Ron asked, amazed, "How is it she knows everything?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's on his suitcase, _Ronald_. Now, be quiet, the man is tired and he wants to sleep."

Hermione took out a black leather journal, and she read it, and blushed. She began writing, and Harry knew it was one of those enchanted diaries where you could write back and forth to your friends secretly. Sebastian gave him one himself first year.

She brushed her hair to the side, and Ron's eyes widened in shock. "Is that? Is that a _hickey_ , Mione'?!" He demanded.

Hermione glanced up from her writing and touched her neck. She shrugged, "Oh, grow up, Ronald. Honestly, you're acting very unreasonable."

"Am I?" He shot back. "You're fraternizing with the enemy, Mione'. It won't end well for you."

Harry, who had no idea what a hickey was, asked lamely, "Excuse me, but what are you two talking about? What's a hickey?"

It was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. "It's a bruise you get when someone kisses your neck too hard. Hermione is fraternizing with the enemy and--"

"The enemy?" Harry asked in a cold tone, "My _brother_ is not the enemy here, Ron. Sebastian saved our lives in the Chamber of Secrets. He literally kicked You Know Who's ass. Would _you_ be brave enough to punch him in the face, Ron?"

"Alright, _enough_ you two!" Hermione shouted. "Sebastian and I are good friends. Not everyone in Slytherin is an arrogant git, Harry. And Ron, even if I were dating someone, it wouldn't be any of your business. You're my best friend, but I have the right to have other friends as well, not just you two."

"Yeah, friends with benefits," Ron grumbled under his breath. Harry saw a coldness move in her eyes, and she reached across and slapped Ron, hard. The sound reverberated in the train cabin. Ron began crying, and whining his apologies, but she wasn't having that. 

She put Crookshanks back into his carrier, and she gathered her stuff. She then stood. "I am _not_ putting up with this juvenile nonsense any more," She announced, "I'm going to go sit where I'm more wanted by people who have a higher maturity level than you two."

"Hermione, I _said_ I was sorry!" Ron pleaded. "When the bloody hell did you become so sensitive any way?"

"Ron, just let her go," Harry said.

"What is _up_ with her?" Ron asked, when Hermione was gone. "One minute she's all like happy, and the next she's pissing and moaning, because she got a hickey from your brother, and I pointed it out."

Harry sighed, "Well, you're kind of insensitive sometimes, Ron. I mean, you could have told her about it more politely."

"So? He's a jerk."  
"To you, yeah, not to her."  
"Yeah, well, he's just trying to get into her knickers is all is what I think," Ron sulked. 

Harry didn't bother to try to correct him, because there might be some elements of truth to that. Clearly, something odd was going on with Sebastian and Hermione, and he was concerned that an older guy like his brother would just try to take advantage of her, simply because he was older, and knew he could get any witch he wanted, because of his looks.

Ron was about to say something, when all of a sudden, the lights in the train went out, and it began to get very, very cold in the train. Ron began whimpering, and he put his hand to the glass of the window, and it suddenly became frosted over from the cold.

Harry exhaled, and found that he could see his breath. Then a dark, shadowed shape came into view, and opened the train cabin door. Scabbers, Ron's rat, began squeaking in fear and ran and hid somewhere. 

Then the dark phantom made itself known by looming over Harry: it looked like a cloaked, skeletal figure, draped completely with its cloak, only there was no face but a vacuous hole for a mouth, which seemed to suck all of the happiness and vitality from the surrounding environment. It loomed over him, and Harry felt himself fainting, but before he did black out, he heard a woman's voice screaming...

🐍--------

Harry woke to find that not only were the lights of the train on, but the sleeping wizard with the disheveled brown hair was hovering over him, shaking him gently. Harry felt like he had a splitting headache, and of course, everything looked blurry to him, because he didn't have his glasses on.

Ron wordlessly handed him his glasses, and Harry murmured, "Thanks."

"No problem, mate," Ron quipped, petting Scabbers soothingly. 

The mysterious wizard helped him up, and said, "Are you alright, Harry? Take it, it's chocolate, it helps, it really does."

Harry didn't trust the man, but he took a nibble on a piece of the chocolate bar to humor the man. Lupin nodded, and said, "Eat. It helps. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a few words with the driver."

With that, the wizard left and Ron and Harry sat in their seats. "Did you faint or hear screaming like I did?" Harry asked.

Ron shook his head, "No, I just saw you have a bit of a fit, and twitch about on the floor while that wizard made that thing go away with some bright light from his wand. But I felt weird though, like I would never be cheerful again, y'know? And I felt like cold...like really, really cold. Did you feel that too?"

"Yeah, I felt it," Harry said, "I'm gonna take a nap. I feel kind of tired. Will you wake me when we get there?"

"Yeah, sure mate. You bet."  
"Thanks."

Harry curled up and was woken up a few hours later by Ron. Hermione had not returned, but she took a carriage with some blonde witch, Ginny, and Neville Longbottom. He took the next carriage with Ron and Seamus Finnegan, and Harry had thought that this would be the end of the weirdness going on at Hogwarts, but unfortunately, the weirdness was only just beginning...


	20. Chapter 20

Hermione

A day after Dumbledore's grim speech at the welcome feast in regards to the dementor's of Azkaban guarding the school as they search the grounds for Sirius Black, I was summoned to Professor McGonagoll's office. She was talking with another student, and I felt my pulse race when I saw that it was Sebastian. Of course, it was. No one else could make her feel like she was weak in the knees, or her heart to beat erratically. _Yes, but you were the one who suggested taking things slow, remember? Damn you, muggle Catholic upbringing!_

Sebastian's face was a study in impassive stoicism. It was bizarre at times how in moments like this that he looked like Professor Snape. 

Professor McGonagoll welcomed me politely, and she said, "Good morning, Miss. Granger. Now that you have arrived, we can begin this meeting."

I leaned over to whisper to Sebastian, "Are we in trouble?"

He shook his head, and signaled with his hands that they were not in trouble. She signaled back her relief. McGonagoll retrieved our school files from a filing cabinet using her wand, and flipped open Hogwarts's file on me. 

"We shall begin with you, Miss. Granger," Professor McGonagoll said, "For as the muggles say: ladies first. To begin with, the sorting hat almost placed you in Ravenclaw, but you requested to be placed in Gryffindor. Can you explain the reason, or reasons for this?"

Hermione squirmed under her firm gaze, her green eyes looking through her, "Well...I...I feel that courage is more important than cleverness and wit, Professor."

McGonagoll nodded, "Your transcripts from your muggle schools before Hogwarts projected your worthiness to be more suited to Ravenclaw. Student of the Month awards, Honors English at fifth grade. High school level reading at primary school level. Impressive. Would you wish to be resorted if I gave you the option, Miss. Granger?"

"No, I feel like I am a Gryffindor, and feel loyalty to my House," I answered frankly. 

"So be it." She flipped through her files and attachments. "You have had multiple detentions due to your friendship with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. After hours socializing, various rule breaking in regards to Potter's near death experiences. However, despite your teacher's glowing reports, you do not seem to see eye to eye with Professor Snape." 

I felt myself feel ashamed then. "I..I may have been outspoken and wished to expand on my answers when he asks a question. But he's so mean...and...okay, he's extremely strict, and favors his own House over the others. I find it a tad bit unfair."

A slight smirk appeared on Professor McGonagoll's face, "A fault for which all of the Heads of the Houses share, unfortunately. Still, I thank you for your honesty, Miss. Granger. In the future, do respect the direction of your teachers, even if you do not agree with their methods. Am I understood, Miss. Granger?"

"Yes, Professor."  
"Now then, which career suited you in terms of classes to take this year, Miss. Granger?" McGonagoll asked pointedly. 

I thought long and hard on this, and knew that I had a natural gift with charms. "I was hoping to become a Charms Mistress."

A real smile flashed across Professor McGonagoll's face, "I completely agree and approve. You do have the predisposition for that subject. I will adjust your schedule accordingly. I thank you for answering my questions."

She closed her file on me, and flicked her wand over a piece of parchment. My new classes appeared on the paper, many of them at the same time. "Professor, I don't understand. Many of these classes are scheduled for the same times. How can one possibly attend to all of them without a time turner?"

"You can't," McGonagoll agreed, "But you both will be supplied with one. But first, I must question Mr. Prince on his career path. You are dismissed for your first class, which is history of magic," McGonagoll replied. A golden box flew into my hands. "Now, you are aware of the dangers of time travel, Miss. Granger?"

"Yes. To not be seen by my past self, or people who know me."

"Correct. Now, flip the rings and it will take you to the class you need to be at," Professor McGonagoll instructed. 

I picked up my book bag and Sebastian signaled to me that he would meet up with me later. I nodded, greatly relieved that we would be spending time time together. I had no idea just how much time we would be given, and how much it would come to bear on our relationship in the future...


	21. Chapter 21

Sebastian

I watched Hermione leave, and I chided myself sharply for looking a little too long at my girlfriend. 

Professor McGonagoll cleared her throat, and said, "I see that you and Miss. Granger are close. Are you two--"

"No, we're not," I lied.  
"Good. Now, then, let's get started, shall we?" 

I shrugged my shoulders. McGonagoll took that as the incentive to begin. She perused my file and said, "You were given private wizarding tutors in your earliest schooling, despite your half blood status. Can you explain why, Mr. Prince?"

"My father found it prudent that he raise me as a pure blood," I explained. "I knew early on that I had a muggleborn mother, my father made no secret of that. But he thought that it would be safer that I was raised in high wizarding society."

"But would that not target you?"  
"So far it hasn't."

"I see." She flipped to more sections of my Hogwarts school files. "It seems that you have been told multiple times about your nightly strolls with witches from your House, and others. Also, that you and Mr. Malfoy have gotten into some mischief over time. What am I to make of that in terms of your character?"

I shrugged my shoulders. Frankly, I didn't care what Professor McGonagoll thought of me, nor did my father, for that matter, but I kept mum about that. 

"I like girls, Professor, so sue me. And my god brother is a good kid underneath it all," I drawled, crossing my arms across my chest. "I thank the gods I'm not actually a Malfoy myself, his father expects too much of him, in my opinion."

McGonagoll sighed, "I will put down your exploits as youthful folly since what detentions you have served has not affected your grades. Which brings me to your House status for my next question."

"Shoot," I quipped.  
She raised an eyebrow at that, and shrugged her shoulders. "Now then, about your sorting hat status. You asked the hat to put you in any House besides Gryffindor. Can you tell me what your reason, or reasons for why that is the case?"

"Because I felt no ties to that House, honestly," I answered truthfully. "I had read up on each trait of the Houses, and Slytherin seemed like a better fit for me."

"But if you were to be resorted, would you welcome that change?" McGonagoll asked.

I shook my head, knowing the answer to that. "No, I wouldn't. I'm a Slytherin, despite the things I have had to do to ensure my brother's safety. I have my own goals in mind, and no other House praises ambition and goal setting like Slytherin House."

McGonagoll approved of my answer, and then asked, "Now then, I must ask you what your career path will be after you graduate, Mr. Prince. Answer carefully, because it will affect your class time table drastically."

"I wish to be a potions master, naturally," I answered. "And no, it's not because of my father. I have a natural interest in it, and I love the experimental stages of formulating my own potions."

McGonagoll nodded, and then made adjustments to my class time table. "As I told Miss. Granger, you will require a time turner to meet the demands of these extra classes. Now, I am trusting you not to mistreat her in any way, because if you do, I will destroy your time turner myself. Do I make myself clear, sir?"

"Crystal."  
"Good. You have herbology at the same time as divination," She explained. She caught my look of disgust, and chuckled, "Yes, I quite agree with your assessment on that, Mr. Prince. Professor Trelawny is...strange, but I trust Dumbledore's judgement, as should we all."

"As you say, Professor."  
"Well, I won't keep you much longer," She said, handing me a gold box that contained a brand new time turner. I had one already, but I neglected to mention that, of course. She explained about the pros and cons of time turners, and blocked her out. 

I gathered up my school things, and turned the time turner rings to the time of my class. I popped in next to Hermione, and we shared a secret look over that. I wasn't sure how much more using the time turners would age us mentally, but I certainly didn't want to use it too excessively, there were wizards and witches who did, and they became way older than their time, and died way earlier than they should have. I didn't want to take that risk, after all. But how was I to know how much it would bring me closer to my girlfriend? 


	22. Chapter 22

Hermione

After Defense Against The Dark Arts, I popped in with Sebastian discreetly, and we tucked our time turners down our shirts. I don't know why Dumbledore got it into his head to put me in with over half of Sebastian's extra classes that he needs to take to train to be a potions master, so surprise, surprise, we had Care Of Magical Creatures with the other Slytherins and Gryffindors.   
Draco was bullying Harry about the dementor attack on the train, and Sebastian had to break them up, "Knock it off, Draco. Now."

  
Draco almost whimpered under Sebastian's cold look, and Harry said, "Thanks."

"I didn't do it for you," Sebastian said, and began talking with the other Slytherins. I thought it was a bit hurtful that he didn't bother to acknowledge me, but then again, I did agree to be merely civil in public.

Hagrid came up to the front of the class. "Ev' ryone gather 'round, I got a real special treat for ya!" He whistled, and announced, "Tada dada! Ain't he just beautiful?"

A creature that resembled an eagle and a horse stepped up behind Hagrid, and squawked like a bird. Weird. "Uh, what _is_ that...Professor?" Ron asked.

"That Ron is a hippogriff," Hagrid instructed, "Now, th' first thing y' wanna be aware of is they're really proud. Y'don't wanna upset a hippogriff. It may be jus' th' last thing y'do. Now, who wants t' come an' meet em?"

I sneakily stood by Sebastian, and the Gryffindors stood back, conscripting Harry into riding this creature.

Hagrid smiled, "Good, Harry. Very good. Come on up. Now, whatcha gotta do is bow to em'. If e' likes ya, he'll bow back, it's only polite. If he don't...um, we'll get to that later."

Harry crept forward, and honestly, I felt a bit worried about my friend. When it seemed like the hippogriff was going to bite Harry's hand off, I gasped and clutched Sebastian's hand. He stared ahead, but laced his fingers through mine. My heart leaped at the gesture. He ran his thumb over my hand making me shiver, despite how nice it was outside.

Eventually, both Harry and the hippogriff bowed to each other, and Hagrid put him on the back of Buckbeak, and they took off flying. When Harry landed, Sebastian volunteered next. I watched as my boyfriend executed a regal, graceful bow, and the hippogriff responded to it better for some reason.

Sebastian winked at me as he mounted the hippogriff like a horse and they took off flying. Sebastian was smiling and laughing as he pet Buckbeak and tousled the feathery part of his head. The hippogriff nudged him affectionately.

Others were not so brave. But of course, the lesson was ruined, because Draco had to be macho, and taunt the hippogriff. As predicted, Buckbeak reared up and smacked the blonde idiot in his right forearm. Draco whined and cried, and Hagrid hovered over him.

"Hagrid, he has to be taken to the hospital ward," I reminded Hagrid.

Sebastian asked Hagrid a question, and Hagrid shook his head, "No, no, I'm the teacher, I'll take em' Class dismissed, everyone!"

The Slytherins went back, and I had to stay behind, because of the time turner rule that I cannot be seen in these multiple timelines. Sebastian walked up to me, and asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just worried about Harry is all," I admitted.

He looked around and a heated look came into his eyes. My heart immediately began to race. "Yes, but you worried about me as well," He said, coming towards me.

I found myself walking towards him, and I shyly tucked a piece of his hair behind his right ear. "Well, yes, but Bastian...I..." I stammered. "What if someone sees us...like this..."

Sebastian glanced at Buckbeak, and chuckled, "There's no one here but Buckbeak, and he's not saying a word. Who cares if Ron or the others find out anyway, babe? We're dating, it's not a crime."

He pulled me flush against him, and he ran his knuckles slowly down my cheek, "Sebastian..." I breathed.

He grabbed my hand and placed it against his chest. His heart was beating just as fast as mine, if not more so. He cupped the back of my head, and I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck as our lips met. I felt sparks as he ran his hands up and down my waist, and he growled in the back of his throat as one of his hands cupped my bottom.

I gasped, opening my mouth wider as our tongues dueled one another. "Hermione..." He breathed, his voice ragged, " _My_ Hermione...I love you."

We stared into each other's eyes, and I felt tears fall down my cheek. Sebastian's face softened, "Oh, no. Don't cry. I'm sorry, am I moving too fast, babe? I know you wanted more time."

I shook my head, and wiped at my eyes. "No, it's fine. I just...I hate sneaking around, pretending I don't want...well, more of what we have. I love you too, Sebastian. So much."

"We should get to class."  
I laughed, and he gave me a look of inquiry that looked just like his dad there. "What's so funny?"

"You telling me we should get to class," I replied, idly stroking the wool of his vest, and feeling the lean muscle underneath. "I'm sorry I've been such a prude."

He kissed me softly, "It's alright, love. If I just wanted you for a fling we would have just shagged and been over and done with. I was serious at the train station when I said that I'm ready to court you when you're ready."

I blushed. "But I'm not a pure blood. I...I didn't think that was allowed for girls like me."

He shrugged. "It's how I was raised. Just let me know when you're ready to take that step. For now, knowing my feelings are requited means more to me than some cheap fling."

I kissed him a final time and reluctantly stepped away from him. We looked at our schedules, and he groaned, "See you in divination. Thank the gods it's my final year of being in the Flake Queen's class."

I gave Sebastian a funny look, and he said, "You'll understand when you get there, trust me."

"You know I do."  
"I know. See you then."

We stood apart from each other and flipped our rings on the time turner to the correct time. Before Sebastian disappeared, he made a kiss face, and I was left in the woods alone. I disappeared, and as soon as I popped in, I gave my excuse to Ron and Harry that I had been there the entire time, and they needed to be more observant. Ron was about to tell me off when the flakiest witch I have ever seen in my life entered the classroom, and I started to understand why my boyfriend called her Queen Flake. Gods help us all...


	23. Chapter 23

Sebastian

The divination classroom, while spacious, due to it being located in a tower room looked like a stereotypical fortune teller's booth, complete with crystal balls and bead curtains. I distinctly smelled a strange herbal incense that suspiciously smelled like marijuana. Draco, me, and Hermione laughed at the smell. I just could not believe that Queen Flake was smoking dope on the job, but gods only knew what the hell the owl eyed hippie imbibed between classes. 

Ron Weasley said something stupid, and I heard her say, "....Fine, _Ronald_. If you really feel that way, I'm going to go sit with Malfoy and Sebastian's friends."

"Be nice to her, jerkwad," I warned Draco, and he groaned. "Just because you think my brother is a dick, doesn't mean you can bully her. Same with you two, Tweedle Dee, and Dum."

"Man, just plug her already," Draco suggested. "Gods, you're so pussywhipped it's pathetic."

"Sshh!" I hissed, "She's coming this way."

Hermione looked at Draco and scowled, and he scowled back. But then she looked at me, and said, "Ugh, Ron is being a possessive misogynist, and right now, I can't stand him. Can I sit with you, Bastian?"

I nodded, and made room for her next to me on my bean bag. The bean bags were plush and comfortable, and many of the students had their shoes off as they curled up around their crystal tables. Hermione took off her shoes, and while the bean bag was too small to really lay out, we could cuddle somewhat. 

When everyone was settled in, the lights went dark, and black lights filled the room. Psychedelic rock music began to play, and Hermione whispered, "Is this normal for this teacher?"

I laughed, "Oh, yeah. You're in for some laughs now."

"She's not going to start dancing naked right now, bro?" Draco asked, "Cause' my mother said crazy chicks like Professor Trelawny do that. And I soo don't want to lose my lunch."

Hermione laughed, "Me neither."

A woman with bushy hair and glasses that made her beady eyes look like an owl's started dancing and twirling about the room, her crocheted skirts swirling about her rail thin frame. Oh gods, it was going to be one of her stranger acid trips. The lights lit up, and she said dreamily, "Ahh, yes. The spirits tell me children lurk nearby! How wonderful to see all of your bright minds, and your sweet, sunny auras just glowing with good, gentle vibes. I dreamed that I swam with donkeys and dolphins, and when they entered me...I hummed a grooovy tunnne! Oooohhh happy happy lovvin' and joyful vibbies! Oh the times, they are a changin'!!!"

The class started giggling, but then she began twitching on the floor and humping it. "Coome, my happy friends. Let us commune with the happy wood bark elves that live on the backs of spider fairies. Now, let us all drink some kickin' tea and spirits so we can look beyond to infinity!! But be sure you look upon the cup of your partner's, not your own."

I poured out my tea, and Hermione's as well. "Hey! I was going to drink that, you know."

I sniffed it. "Don't. It's filled with LSD and opium. You don't want what is in her system right now."

She saw that I was quite serious, and she said, "Okay, I trust you. Will she care if we snuggle?"

I winked at her, "Nope. It depends on what drug she put in her tea. My last last year's class with her, she literally laced her tea with ambrosia. Needless to say, there were a ton of knocked up witches by the end of the year."

Draco and his friends were drinking up the drugged tea, and Tweedle Dee and Dum began a major snog session. Draco found Pansy Parkinson and were dancing about the dimly lit room. Ron Weasley was kissing some Hufflepuff boy, and my brother was playing seven minutes in Heaven with Ginny Weasley.

Hermione and I meanwhile laid curled up in each other's arms lazily kissing. Then Trelawny, of course, had to startle us by demanding to see our cups. 

"Oh, love, love, love is in the aiiir for you two," She sang dreamily, "Just keep on keeping on happy star gazers."

"Uh, okay," Hermione said.  
"Yep, we'll do that," I agreed. When she flung off her dress and it landed on Ron Weasley, me and Hermione totally lost it. 

Professor Trelawny began dancing afresh, now completely nude, and rubbing her saggy boobs in Weasely's face, and humping his leg like a horny dog.

But when she read Harry's fortune she screamed, and said, "YOU GOT THE GRIM YOU FILTHY DEMON PIG COW BOYYY!! QUICK! GET SOME LOVINN!! Dissssmissssed filthy square fuddy duddies!!" 

The Professor puked all over Seamus McFinnegan, and passed out. We all filed out of class, and Hermione looked disturbed, and nearly on the verge of crying she was about to laugh so hard.

"Um, that was the weirdest class I have _ever_ been to," She admitted, giggling. "Is she _ever_ sober enough to teach?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, but she's boring then. It's all tarot and her criticising anyone who challenges her authority. You caught her in full flake mode. Nearly everyone fails her class because she's a damn nut job, but we're required to take the class anyway."

Hermione looked at her time table, and sighed regretfully, "Can we meet to study later in the library? I missed you."

I winked, and kissed her hand, and then her wrist, "Of course. 8, after dinner?"

Hermione blushed, "It's a date."  
I winked, "Good."

We left each other then, and when we met up later, we studied long into the evening until we were forced to retire to our separate common rooms. I realized that I would need to talk to Hermione's father soon, because I was becoming even more deeply attached to Hermione than I ever imagined, and not for the first time really hated that this damn school rivalry, and this war kept us at a distance from each other. I loved her, and it made my heart ache if I could not have her, and call her my witch openly. But first, I would need to meet with her parents first; they were the key to well, everything..."


	24. Chapter 24

Harry

After the weird freak show that was divination last week, Harry did not want to go back there. A lot of the students made out, and Professor Trelawny...what the heck was she on anyway? It was weird seeing Hermione snuggle and kiss his brother, and them joking around. And Ron? He had no idea Ron was gay. But when he called Ron on it, Ron totally denied it.

"I'm _not_ gay, Harry!" Ron shouted. "And besides, Sebastian had his hands all over Mione'! It's a good thing we were all drugged, cause' I would've beaten his ass."

"I don't think they drank the tea, Ron," Harry put in, "I think they were just having a good time. Since when do you care who Hermione dates anyways?"

"I..I don't...it's just, well, it's not right is all," Ron sputtered, blushing. "The guy's way too old for her, and he's Snape's _son_ for god's sake!"

Harry crossed his arms across his chest, "And I'm his stepson, so what's the big deal, Ron? I don't exactly like him myself, but he's not a bad person, either. My dad was...nah, you don't want to hear about it. Whatever, forget I mentioned it. My brother and her mesh well, Ron. He's smart, resourceful, powerful, and he seems to not care that she has no magical parents. She's happy with him, Ron, and you will _not_ screw things up with her, because you're jealous of her."

"I'm not jealous, just concerned is all," Ron said defensively. "And why don't you care?"

Harry sighed, tossing his books for the day into his book bag, "Because Hermione is my best friend, and I trust her judgment, Ron. And quite frankly, I'm happy for her. You need to leave it alone. If she wants me to interfere, I will, but until that happens, I won't, okay? What you need to do is sort out your own life, and stop putting your nose into other people's business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have herbology to get to."

Ron wanted to say more, but Harry had already left for the day. He had not seen much of Hermione this year, but he could see that she was busy with extra classes, and with Sebastian. Ginny was eating lunch with the Patil twins, and Ginny blushed when she saw him. He blushed back. 

"Hey Gin, you see Hermione around?" Harry asked. Parvarti giggled, and said something in Hindi to her sister. 

"No, not really," Ginny said, "But she'll be in for divination, I heard. She's so freaking lucky. I don't know where she finds the time to do all the work she does and still have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, a really cute boyfriend," Parvarti giggled. "But isn't Dean interested, Ginny?"

"Yeah, but he's kind of a player, so I don't know," Ginny replied. 

Parma said, "Well, how about ask Harry? You don't have a girlfriend yet, right?"

Harry shook his head. Parma giggled, "Okay, it's settled. You and Gin date, and I get Ron."

Ginny winced, "You sure you want to go there, Parm? My brother's kind of a brat."

Parma tossed her hair, "So? He looks needy. I like needy."

Harry was getting uncomfortable, particularly with Hermione walking into the Great Hall chatting away with Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls. What the hell?! Sure, they had their boyfriends with them, and his brother was joking around with Hermione, but it was still weird as hell to see Slytherin House treat Hermione as if she were one of them. When the hell did she get so popular?

Ginny caught his eye, and rolled her eyes, "You're just now noticing it, Harry? It's been like this for two months now. First, Minnie goes public with her relationship with your brother, and now it's like she's suddenly one of the school's most popular girls."

Sebastian kissed Hermione's hand, and winked at her. She sat down next to Harry, and asked, "What's up, guys?"

"Nothing much," The twins said.  
"Yeah, it's kinda weird seeing you with the snakes, Minnie," Ginny admitted, sipping her pumpkin juice. "What's up with that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Draco's still a git, but at least he's not as bad as he was. He's laid off the whole mudblood thing. But the girls aren't that bad, a little snooty, perhaps, but not bad. Pansy and I are good. She was like, 'as long as you're not after my Drake, I'll leave you be.' Bastian' wants to know if you'll be visiting for the summer break, Harry. He's got a room lined up for you and everything."

Harry was stunned. He never thought Sebastian would allow him to escape from the Dursleys. "Um, yeah, I guess...I'm kind of supposed to stay with the Dursleys, though. But won't it be weird with Snape there?"

Hermione shook her head, "He's hardly there, Harry. And you've seen the place, it's huge. Please say you'll at least think about it?"

Harry smiled, "Yeah, I'll think about it."

Hermione kissed his cheek, "Great! I'll see you in divination, alright? I can't wait to tell Bastian the news."

Harry watched his friend go and tell her boyfriend. Sebastian looked over at him, and nodded at him. When lunch was over, he made his way over to the tower where Professor Trelawny resided. 

There was a marked change in the ambiance of the place, because obviously, the teacher was sober...or, was sober as she could be. 

"Today class, we will be doing sketches to look beyond into our mind's eye. Now, some of us," She glared daggers at Sebastian, "May imagine that their gifts span my superior abilities quite a bit, but we shall put that to the test. Now, to get us all in the mood, let us go into a nice meditation session and--"

"Kumbaya, my lord, kumbaya," Draco sang, which drew laughs and titters from the class. "Oh lord, kumbaya."

"Mr. Malfoy!" Trelawny said sharply, "Your bad energy troll is really clogging the chi in this room. Ten points from Slytherin, and you will be burning the sage for us to breathe. Am I understood?"

"Sure, Janis, whatever," Draco said, and started burning some white sage, along with the incense. 

Everyone got into the meditative mood, and so did he. When that was done, Professor Trelawny lit a joint and said, "Now, everyone grab some parchment and the crap in the center of the room, and draw whatever the sight is telling you to draw. Now, begin."

Harry drew the outside of the Ministry of Magic building, and himself in auror robes flashing an imposing pose, his wand proudly in his hand. His face looked a bit worn and hardened, but it was still him. When he was done, and everyone was finishing up, Professor Trelawny put up everyone's latest pictures up on easels about the room.

Sebastian and Hermione's related to each other. She drew the backside of a woman in a wedding gown, and Sebastian drew the backside of a couple holding hands in an elaborate garden, and they were older. Some of the drawings were ridiculous, and stupid, but Sebastian's was...He had no idea until then just how serious he was about his relationship to Hermione until that day. 

Professor Trelawny sneered at it, "No one can see who the people are in this, Mr. Prince. So, it could only be nothing more than from your deluded imagination."

"Oh, really?" Sebastian shot back, "Well, I can tell you, _Professor,_ that it was in the distant future, and I could see it as clearly as I see you. You know what, screw you, I'm out of here. I'm done trying to argue with you."

Sebastian grabbed his stuff, and stormed out of the room. Professor Trelawny critiqued everyone else's work, and then she had to criticize Hermione when she read her palm. 

"You know what, I'm done with this class too!" Hermione shouted, "I think you're the charlatan. Good day to you, madam."

Hermione grabbed her stuff, and knocked over her crystal ball in her haste to leave. When the bell rang for the change in classes, Harry went back to retrieve the crystal ball Hermione knocked over. The classroom was completely deserted by this point, and Professor Trelawny was cleaning up the art supplies left over from class. 

He went to the table Hermione was just at, and put the crystal back on the table. He thought he saw Sirius Black's face in the ball for a minute, but then it was gone just as quickly as he saw it. Professor Trelawny's eyes looked unfocused and was stumbling towards him like a movie zombie almost. 

"He will return to tonight," She said in a dark monotone voice, "A servant and master shall be reunited before long, and the truth shall set him free at last."

Professor Trelawny then coughed, and then looked at him with confusion etched on her face, "Oh! So sorry, my boy. Did you need help with something?"

"Uhh, no, I just...came to get something I left," Harry stammered, and left the room. He was jogging down the stairs of the tower as he went to transfiguration. He didn't know what to think about that weird prediction of the divination teacher, and it could have been another delusion of Trelawny's, but something told him that that wasn't the case. No, for once, the divination teacher had predicted something genuine, he just didn't know what. All he knew was that he had to be on his toes to meet whatever danger was coming his way, and fight it with whatever means he had at his disposal...


	25. Chapter 25

Sebastian 

After Harry told me the prediction that Queen Flake told him, I felt it was my duty to inform my father of these events. Hermione went with me, and he looked her over, and welcomed us inside his quarters, which she found odd. 

He poured himself a glass of firewhisky and asked, "Do you two want some? I have plenty."

"No, but we should get going...Professor Lupin, he..." I started to explain. 

"I'm aware of what he is," My father nearly snapped. "I have known for years. And I also know that he foolishly didn't take his wolfsbane tonight, claiming that I make it too strong."

I grinned at that, "Yes, well, we can't have him terrorizing the students and assaulting the witches, now can we?"

Hermione looked at us both, horrified, "But that essay you assigned us, sir? Why would you want us to know how to kill Professor Lupin?"

My father chuckled, and drained his firewhisky. "Because Miss. Granger, I cannot be everywhere at once." He stood over Hermione, and scanned her mind. She stared back at him without any show of fear beyond the rapid rise and fall of her chest. 

He flashed her a cold smirk, and said, "Well, you two clearly have much to talk about. But who am I to stand in your way?"

"You...You knew about us?!" I asked, shocked, "But...you implied that you disapproved of my dating Hermione."

My father nodded, "Oh, that has not changed, son. But I accept it, because even the pureblood witches your Uncle would set you up with would be idiots next to Miss. Granger."

"But father, I--"  
"It is not _my_ permission you need to ask, boy," My father grumbled, "If you're as serious as I know you are about her, you need to ask her father. I never did that with your mother, because we were both young and stupid. I did it after we got married, and it would have gone over better if I had asked for her hand before that happened."

Hermione's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Wait, you're telling me that Harry's mum had Sebastian in her seventh year?"

My father scowled, "Yes. And she wouldn't have had to be with Potter at all if it weren't for circumstances which are none of your business."

She looked at me for confirmation, and I said, "I'll explain later, babe. It's not a pleasant story. Are you coming with us, or not, dad?"

My father went into another room, and changed into a clean frock coat and pants. He came out without his teacher's robes, and said, "Of course, I'm coming. But you should stay here Miss. Granger."

Hermione shook her head, and took my hand in hers, "Thanks for the concern, sir, but Harry and Ron won't listen to Sebastian. And besides, where Bastian goes, I go too."

My father grinned, approvingly, "As you wish." (" _I like her son, treat her like a Queen. Promise me that.")._

" _I will, dad,"_ I said mentally. " _I love her. Thank you, for accepting her, it means the world to me."_

We set out, and found Ron Weasley, my brother, and a huge black Irish wolfhound in some kind of fight around the Whomping Willow. The tree branches were swinging erratically as the dog grabbed a hold of Ron's leg, and pulled him under into a hole in the ground. Harry ran after them, and somehow made his way into the tree's secret passageway. 

"Immobilus," My father cast with his wand. The rustling of the branches from the Whomping Willow ceased immediately, and I helped Hermione down into the hole. 

My father followed us, and whispered, "Stay behind me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," I said.  
"Yes, sir," Hermione echoed. He nodded, and as we followed my father up the stairs of the secret passageway, we could both hear yelling from my brother, and Ron Weasley's petulant whinging.   
My father burst in, and cast with his wand, "Expelliarmus!" 

There was a dark, bearded wizard in prison rags on the dusty floor of the room, my brother holding a wand to Professor Lupin's throat, and Ron cradling his injured leg. Hermione went to Ron, and talked with him a bit. Scabbers, Ron's rat, was trying to seek comfort in his clothes. 

I roughly grabbed Sirius Black, and stood him up. To everyone's shock, I punched him out. "I almost expected Harry to strike me, not you, boy," Sirius said, "But then again, you are Snivilus's boy."

"Fuck you!" I shouted, "You gave up the right to have _any_ say in my upbringing. I'm just shocked that my father placed such trust in you. But then again, you did almost rape my mother once."

Sirius Black's eyes went wide with shock, "I only held her down, I didn't touch her--"

"Liar!" My father snarled.  
"And you, _Lupin_ , you just stood there while they took advantage of Lily that day."

Professor Lupin was horrified, "No, I...I got McGonagoll, and told her about all of that stuff. But Severus, don't be a fool, I'm sure Harry doesn't want to hear--"

"Hear what??" Harry nearly shouted, "That my father was a filthy, bullying scumbag? That I'm the product of _rape_?! Yeah, I know all of that. My father was an evil man."

Hermione cried, "Oh, wow. Harry, I didn't know. I just always thought he was a bully."

My brother rounded on her, "Yeah, well, now you know! It's why I'm glad you're with Bastian.' Why I'm glad he's never mistreated you the way my dad did my mother."

Lupin sighed, "Harry, your father loved Lily. He just...He just showed it in unhealthy ways is all. But we're not here for that. We have to prove Sirius's innocence."

"How?" Harry asked.  
"Your friend," Sirius said.  
"Me?! But that's mental!" Ron said, horrified. 

Sirius scowled, "Not you. Your rat. Give him over."

"But Scabbers has been in my family for twelve years," Ron asserted.

"Twelve years is a curiously long time for a common Irish rat, wouldn't you say, boy?" Sirius challenged. 

"Show me," Harry said. "Give him here, Ron! Mione', help me out, will you?"

Hermione did, and Ron tried to snatch his pet rat back from her, but she punched him square in the face, breaking his jaw with an audible crunch. The rat squealed with fear as it tried to get free. 

Everyone cast the charm to reveal an animagus, and just as the rat was about to get free, the transfiguration spell revealed a balding, fat older wizard with moth eaten robes, and even his face was rat-like in appearance.

"Sirius? Remus! My old friends!" Peter Pettigrew said happily. He then looked at me and my father with real fear in his eyes. "Severus...you...have a _son_?!"

"You sound shocked by such an outcome," My father said with cold amusement. "What do you want done with him, Mr. Potter?"

"He deserves a trial," Harry said.  
Peter fell to Harry's feet, and kissed his feet. "Bless you, lad! Bless you!"

"I said the aurors can have you," Harry said coldly, "After that, the dementors can do what they please."

"Hermione?" Lupin asked, "Your vote on what should happen?"

Hermione looked at Pettigrew with disgust, and then at Sirius Black with cold hate, "You deserve prison. Every lash upon your back from the guards, every kiss from the dementors. Let it be a cold, stark reminder that you brutalized my boyfriend's father with such hate and vitriol that it makes my head spin. He was already abused at home. He didn't need, or deserve you and your friend's cruelty. You make me ashamed to be a Gryffindor! All of you! Even you, _Ronald_. When I think of all the times I served detention, stood up for you both, I did it out of friendship for you both. But even you just used me, Harry. Take me home, Sebastian. I don't want to see these people again."

To my shock, she tore off her Gryffindor badge from her uniform and threw it in Sirius Black's face. She was crying when I led her out the door, and my father flashed us both a look of kindness. 

"Get her to her common room safely," My father said. I nodded, and led her out of there. 

"Can I stay with you tonight, Bastian?" She asked, "I don't want to stay with Gryffindors tonight."

"Okay."

I led her down to the dungeons, and Draco was up with Blaise and some of my friends. "What's she doing here, man?" Blaise asked.

I held up a hand. "Chill, guys. She's had a stressful night, and she doesn't want to be around the lions tonight."

Pansy hugged Hermione, and said gently, "What happened, girl?"

"I...I can't talk about it," Hermione said. "But I feel like my whole House but you guys abandoned me. I know I'm like a mudblood, and stuff, but--"

Blaise hugged Hermione, and kissed her temple. "Hey, shh. None of that racist shit. We're not deatheaters, girl. And if you're with my boy Sebastian, you're as good as one of us. Anyone who calls Hermione here a mudblood is gonna get their asses hexed, and beat. You got that, everyone?! She's going against her House dating one of us, so lay off the bad treatment."

Everyone, including Draco Malfoy, agreed, and from that moment on, she was treated just like any other Slytherin. I led Hermione to my dorm room, and got her a t-shirt to sleep in. 

I got ready for bed, and the Jacuzzi bath was heavenly after my stressful night. I slipped into bed, and Hermione slipped into bed beside me. I held her in my arms as she cried, and I kissed and soothed her as best as I could. I loved having her in my bed, and I wished that it could be for always, because I loved her so much. 

I wanted to court her, to call her mine, and put a ring on her finger. But I had to meet her parents first, and ask her father, it was only right, after all, and proper. But I didn't broach the topic that night, I would let Hermione decide what she wanted, and if I wasn't who she wanted, I would just have to live with it, after all, like with everything else in my life...


	26. Chapter 26

Hermione

The holiday decorations were out in force in front of Prince Manor as I pulled up to the mansion with my parents. My mother fawned over the castle-like architecture, and my father was secretly in awe of the 'gross display of wealth.' 

House elves came to collect our things, and I asked Smocky, Professor Snape's favorite house elf where Sebastian was. "Oh! Master Sebastian is swimming laps in the Roman pool, Mistress. Master Harry is playing pool with Master Draco, and Smocky believes Master Severus is in the library. Shall Smocky get dinner ready, Mistress?"

"Yes, Smocky, please do that," I ordered politely, "We have had a long trip here via car."

"Okay, Smocky will do it right away!" The female elf squeaked. 

My mother looked around the marble foyer. "The servants really obey you as if you lived here, Minnie, dear. It's strange."

I shrugged, "Not really. I'm friends with Sebastian, and he wants me to feel at home here. Well, shall I give you the grand tour? This place is huge."

My parents agreed, and I pointed out various points of interest, and rooms that were open to the public. Centuries of my potions master's relatives hanged in ornate oil paintings along the walls, until we got to the main fireplace where Lily Evans--Snape--Potter was displayed in pride of place. Professor Snape had it commissioned five years ago on her birthday. The plaque read Lady Liliana Snape--Loving mother, beloved wife, and her birth and death years underneath it. In the portrait Lily sat on a beautiful throne, and wore a lovely emerald green Victorian dress. She looked both regal and beautiful.

"Did you know this lady, pumpkin?" My dad asked, studying the portrait of Lily.

"No, she was killed long before I met her sons," I explained, "Sebastian and Harry are half-brothers, but Sebastian looks almost identical to his dad."

"And he's your potions teacher?"  
"Yes."  
"Interesting. Is he in his lab as the elf said?" My dad mused.

"Yes," I said, "Shall we continue?"

I walked them through almost the whole house. Draco, Harry, Ginny, and Pansy met with my parents, and I said hi to everyone as well. We ended the tour when Smocky popped in and said that dinner was served. To my horror, Draco's parents were at the dinner table.

But I was more shocked then anything else when Mr. Malfoy kissed my hand and said politely, "I heard what you did for my cousin, Miss. Granger. Can you forgive me for those horrid comments I made about your blood status?"

My heart beat fast as I saw that Lucius Malfoy seemed genuinely apologetic and sincere, "Yes, sir. I understand if you and Mrs. Malfoy have to say it publicly, though."

Narcissa Malfoy hugged me, and said politely, "You were very brave, dear. As far as I am concerned, you are one of us now. Anyone who would be willing to risk their whole House hating them for defending one of their teachers deserves my respect."

I wiped at my tears, "Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. That means a lot."

She kissed my cheek, and left a lipstick stain there. "Oh, no thanks needed, Hermione. We will talk some other time on what do you muggles call those bright glass screens?"

"Smart phones?"  
Narcissa laughed, "Yes, those. Fascinating devices, really. Draco is showing us all how to use them. I will send you some divine gowns for later."

I blushed at the older witch's implications, "Um, thank you. I guess. I will definitely look at them."

Sebastian came in wearing a black tailored suit, and I made the introductions of my parents. My mother practically blushed and stammered over her words as Sebastian kissed her hand, and he bowed to my father, who found the formality strange after dealing with Ron and Harry. 

I sat next to Sebastian, Draco next to Pansy, Harry next to Ginny, and my parents next to the Malfoys. The last person to arrive was Professor Snape, and he sat next to Lucius Malfoy, eying everyone indifferently in his cold, detached way. 

Dinner was served, and my parents engaged my boyfriend in conversation, but they seemed intimidated by Professor Snape. I chatted with Ginny and Pansy, and we all took out our phones and texted each other funny meme pictures. 

The events of the wizarding world seemed to fascinate my parents, despite the dark parts of it with Sirius Black being put on trial again, because Peter Pettigrew was alive, the Ministry found. Professor Lupin resigned before Christmas holiday, because Snape let slip the nature of his condition, so who knew where he was now? 

I almost expected Dumbledore to finally hire Snape to teach DADA classes, but that was expecting too much from Dumbledore, I supposed. I wondered who it would be, and so did all of us. Draco had joked that they should up the ante and hire a vampire next time, because it would be cool. 

I agreed, but I reasoned that it would have to be someone Dumbledore trusted completely. But we would have to come back the following year to find out. Right at the moment, my parents seemed to like my boyfriend, but it was when he asked to speak to my father alone that I knew something was up.

My mom began chatting away with Mrs. Malfoy, and that just left me with my friends. 

Harry found it weird that Sebastian wanted to talk to my father alone, but Draco and Ginny laughed, and Draco said, "You don't get it, do you, Granger?"

"Get what?" I asked, putting Redi whip on my hot fudge sundae. "Sebastian wants to have guy time with my dad, big deal. Why are you acting so weird?"

Pansy sighed, and said, "I'm so jealous of you right now, girl. I can't get Draky here to put a ring on it to save his life."

"Hey, a wizard needs options, y'know?" Draco chuckled, putting some whipped cream in his mouth and swallowing it. 

Ginny laughed, "Easy, guys. I'll go and explain it to her, alright? She is my best friend, after all."

"You share the custom, Weaslette?" Draco taunted.

"Yes, dork. We do."  
"Sorry, I just thought..."  
"Whatever. Let me talk to Minnie, alright?" Ginny asked. The Slytherin put up their hands in mock defeat, and laughed. 

We went to the dining room and sat down, savoring our gelato in peace. Ginny set her dessert aside, and took her hands in mine. "Hermione, Sebastian asked for time alone with your father, because he wants to ask for his blessing to court you," Ginny said seriously. "Meaning, he wants to literally ask for your hand in marriage."

I couldn't breathe for a second. Marriage?! Okay, because of the time turner I was sixteen, but...I never dreamed that Sebastian loved me as deeply as that. Ginny was rubbing my back, and I said, "Wow. I just never imagined...Ginny, aren't we too young? I love him, but..."

She tilted my face to meet her brown eyes, "Honestly, I'm not surprised, Min. Really. The wizard is crazy in love with you. Now, I want you to answer me dead honest: could you see yourself married to him?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation.  
"And do you love Sebastian?"  
I began to cry, "Yes, with all of my heart. But aren't we too young? Does courtship mean right away?"

Ginny shook her head, "No, you two have two years. After which, you get married, or go your separate ways. But everyone, and I mean, everyone will know you are engaged, the magical bond will be unbreakable until the engagement ends, and becomes permanent when you marry, or...you have sex, of course; that would really bind you two for life."

I began to see the importance of what was going on, but I also felt deep down that it was something I always wanted. I breathed easier, and when we went back to our friends, Pansy was super friendly and supportive. 

Sebastian found me snuggling on a couch in the living room late at night by the Christmas tree. I had a cup of hot chocolate in my hands, and I was reading about the history of magic, and jotting down little notes in the margins. 

"Mind if I join you?" He asked tiredly. I opened up my blanket, and he laid his head in my lap, and I kissed him. 

He kissed back, and smiled, "Dance with me, babe." 

I looked down at my pajamas and said, "Um, is this okay? I didn't think I would be dancing with my Prince so late at night."

Sebastian smiled softly, "You look beautiful. Please, dance with me, Hermione."

He flicked his wand and some soft, romantic music played over the speakers, the volume low. He took me in his arms, and we danced slowly. I rested my cheek against his shoulder, and he kissed my hair. Mistletoe started growing above us, and I don't know if it was me or him who conjured it with wordless magic.

"Mistletoe is growing above us," I whispered.

Sebastian looked up, and he said, "So it is. May I kiss you?"

I nodded. He gently pressed his lips to mine, and my mouth moved under his. His tongue teased my lower lip as he nibbled my lip, and I granted it entrance. Our lips slid against each other as we kissed. My breathing became ragged as he slipped a hand underneath my shirt to cup one of my breasts. Then I heard him in my mind, " _I love you, Hermione Jean Granger. With all of my heart and soul, I love you. I have wanted you for a long time, to call you mine. To be yours in return."_

_"_ Oh, Bastian..." I breathed against his mouth. 

He led me to the couch, and my heart rose in my stomach when he got down on one knee, and looked at me seriously, "Hermione, I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I know that because of the time turner we're almost the same age, but I feel like I have been waiting my whole life to ask you this one question: will you make me the happiest wizard in all the world if you marry me? There has never been any witch that has captured my heart as you have. No one but you."

I was crying as I felt my reservations fly out the window. "Oh, Sebastian...Yes. I will."

Sebastian crushed me to him, crying tears of joy as he claimed my mouth. "My Princess," He said softly. "My dearest, dearest love."

I laughed, "Okay, now who is being the sappy one?"

Sebastian laughed, "You love it and you know it. I'm only beyond the moon with happiness when your dad said yes. I had to assure him over and over again that I would treat you right, and he said that he was honored that I asked his permission first."

"Yeah, my dad kind of likes some of the old fashioned etiquette of the wizarding world," I pointed out. "I talked non stop about you on the way here, and my mom loves this place. She thought you were super cute, but your dad totally creeped them out."

Sebastian sat on the couch with me, making meaningless circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. "Yeah, well, you know my dad. He's...an acquired taste. He likes you more than he wants to admit. He only demanded that I treat you like a Queen and protect you."

I was deeply touched by Professor Snape's demands. "Yeah, but I don't think he would like it if I hugged him, and called him dad all of a sudden."

Sebastian kissed my hand, "No, but he would if we gave him a grandkid or two."

"Four."  
"Really?"  
"Yes," I decided. "I want to fill this place with love again. We all need that in our lives. But...you know, after the wedding. I want to walk down the aisle a virgin bride."

Sebastian kissed me softly, "Yes, my lady. But we can still do some things that don't require we go all the way."

I blushed at that, "Please tell me you haven't gone all the way."

Sebastian sighed, "I have, three times. But listen, darling. I have _never_ been with anyone else but you since we began to date, I swear. Nor do I want to, Hermione. I am _yours_. All I want is to see what you like, that's all. I won't do anything you're not comfortable with, okay?"

I yawned, "But not tonight. I'm tired. Do I get a ring from my handsome Prince?"

He kissed me, "We'll see what Santa brought you this year. How about that?"

"Uh huh. Owl post?"  
"You'll see."

I stood, and he led me to my room. We shared a brief, heated kiss, and I went inside, and went to sleep instantly with a huge, giddy smile on my face. I didn't think my Christmas holiday could get any better, but I was soon proven wrong, indeed...


	27. Chapter 27

Sebastian 

I jumped out of my bed Christmas morning like a kid excited that Santa arrived last night. My father was in the kitchen, drinking a latte of all things, and reading a potions directory. 

"You're unusually chipper this morning," My father said, eying me over his magazine. "How did last night go?"

I couldn't contain my happiness any more, "I asked her, dad, and...and..."

My dad grinned, "I take it she said yes."

"Yes, she did."  
My dad rolled his eyes. "Gods help me, Cupid has struck my son. Are you certain Miss. Granger didn't slip you amortentia to enhance this radical decision?"

Another person would be put off by my father's cold sarcastic humor, but I knew him well enough. "No, dad. I have been wanting to propose for some time, and no, I didn't confund Mr. Granger to get his permission."

My father set aside his potions directory, and rubbed at his eyes. "I should hope not. But you must protect your fiancee all the more now. In March, you will be of age to inherit everything, and I had hoped you would choose a pureblood witch. But you clearly love her, so I won't push the issue, just know that not all dangers will come from the Dark Lord and his followers."

"I understand."  
My father scoffed, "You don't. But you will in time. Who am I but a wizard who lost his wife due to pretending to be loyal to the Dark Lord?"

There was movement outside the kitchen, and Harry, Ginny, and everyone started gathering in the living room. 

I ignored it, and put my hand on my father's, "I miss mom too, you know. I wish she could have met Hermione, she would have liked her a lot."

My father teared up, and he smiled, a genuine one. "Yes. Yes, I think your mother would have loved her. And she would have told me to stop being a grouchy git and treat the girl with more kindness."

I lifted an eyebrow, rising to make myself a latte, "And will you be nicer to Hermione, dad? I know you find her annoying, but she is going to be my wife in two years. She thinks you hate her."

"Out of school, yes, I can be kinder," My dad conceded, "But no favoritism when classes are in session, the same goes for you. Is that good enough for you?"

I finished frothing my milk, and I seasoned it with chocolate, and added the cream. "Yeah, dad. That's great," I said happily. I eyed the potions directory and frowned, "Please don't tell me you're going to work all holiday long. I won't have it."

My father scowled, "I'm still the master of this house, boy. I can read whatever I damn well please! No, I am not working, but afterwards, I am going to fill potions orders."

I relaxed at that. I went over and hugged my father, and he tousled my hair like when I was a kid. I laughed, and he laughed back. We joined the party, and my friends were enjoying the stocking candy the house elves put out in velvet stockings. I even made sure the Grangers got a stocking. 

My father went to Hermione, and to everyone's shock, hugged her. "Sir...I...okay, who are you and what have you done with my potions professor?" She teased, tearing up.

"Three parchment lengths on the true significance of the Christmas tradition on my desk the end of the holiday break," My father said in his usual professor voice. My friends looked afraid he was being serious until he cracked a smile. "I'm kidding. Such an essay would be absurd in any case."

Hermione lifted up a finger, smiling, "Actually, not if you taught history of magic, sir. I researched it quite a bit, actually, and..."

"I'm sure it's all very fascinating...Hermione," My father said, putting a finger on her lips to silence her, "But I was attempting humor as a way to lighten up. Now, who gets to be Santa?"

"Oooh!" Pansy raised her hand, "Let me, let me! I'm awesome at handing out gifts!" 

Others wanted to volunteer, but I picked Mr. Granger in the end. Jon Granger smiled happily, and said, "Thank you, Bastian, I'm honored."

He handed off a gift to my dad, Pansy, Draco, my Aunt Narcissa, Harry, and then a small box to Hermione. We all opened our gifts, but I handed Hermione's gift to her and knelt in front of her. 

"I thought you might like this gift over the others," I said to Hermione. Pansy and Ginny were tearing up, and the guys rolled their eyes at the sappiness of the situation. Inside a ring box was a diamond filigree engagement ring. 

"Sebastian, it's gorgeous!" She gushed, hugging me. "Put it on me." I slipped the ring on her finger, and kissed her chastely. The girls squealed at the display. I then kissed her hand, and then it was all about taking pictures of the engagement ring, and taking selfies. 

Harry laughed, "Well, now you've done it. Now Ginny is going to want one too."

Draco laughed, "Oh? And is Weaslette gonna want that out of the gum ball machine, or a chocolate frog box, Potter?"

"Whatever, Malfoy. Hermione is happy, my brother is happy, even _Snape_ is happy," Harry pointed out. "Okay, that's scary. I didn't think my step dad could smile."

I went over to my friends, and sank on the couch. I'm getting married. Married! Somehow, putting the ring on Hermione's finger made it feel real. I got out a chocolate frog from my stocking and chewed on one of its legs. 

"Wow, I'm getting married," I said, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "I...I..."

I blacked out, and Draco brought me around. "Easy man, it's okay."

The girls were tearing into their presents, and talking in girl speech and even I had no clue what they were saying. Draco rolled his eyes, and laughed, "Uh oh. My mum is getting in on this female bonding crap. Leave it to my mum to go full on party planner and plan this whole grand wedding for you guys."

I groaned at that. "Hey, that just means you'll be next after me, Draco."

Draco groaned, "Yeah. I'm supposed to marry a Greengrass, but Pansy's really been hanging on, hoping I'll put a ring on it. You're damned lucky you weren't raised a pureblood, Potter."

Harry fixed himself a glass of scotch. "Yeah, well, neither was Hermione, so whatever Malfoy. I'm just glad you're not a total dick like you are in school."

Draco grinned, "Likewise, Potter. But this doesn't make us friends."

"Perish the thought."  
My father fixed himself a drink as we congregated around the bar. "You could have given the ring to her in private, son," He put in. 

I laughed, "We'll have plenty of alone time for that, dad."

My dad scowled, "You realize that I could bar you both in your rooms to prevent that from happening, do you not?"

"Relax, dad. Hermione wants to be a virgin bride," I assured him. "And I'm going to respect that wish."

Draco made a whip crack noise. "You're next in line, mister. So watch out!" I warned.

Draco laughed, "I'll worry about that when it comes. But seriously, bro, congrats. If anyone needs a wife to calm your ass down, it's you, Bastian."

The guys shared some more jokes at my expense, and it was nice to spend some time with just guys for a change. My dad was even fun for once, and we had a ball drinking spiked egg nog, and playing some mild drinking games. I later went to my room, and passed out the rest of the night...

✂---------

The Last Day Of The Holidays....

Harry, Ginny, the Malfoys, and Hermione's parents left the day before, leaving us relatively alone. We had our cloaks on over our leather jackets as we walked the frozen hedge maze of the Prince gardens, snow crunching under our feet. 

We held hands, not saying much, just enjoying each other's company. "I'm glad that I was finally able to see your dad so happy, Bastian," Hermione said. "He really should smile more. It makes him less intimidating."

I laughed, "Hey, my dad has a reputation to keep. I'm just shocked that he hugged you is all. I didn't see that coming."

"That surprised me too," She agreed, nodding. "But I have to ask. Would your mom have liked me? Professor Lupin said she was a good person, but..."

I stopped and took her hands in mine. "Hermione, she would have loved you, I'm sure of it. My mother was a kind, but strong woman." I teared up, and wiped away my tears with the back of my hand, "I just wish she could see us get married, have children. All of the stuff that psychotic despot snuffed out the night he stole my mother from me."

Hermione stroked my cheek, "I know. But I have faith that good will prevail, and in the mean time, it won't stop me from building a life with you, Sebastian, because I love you."

I kissed her. "I love you too, Hermione. Forgive me, for being a downer, I just...I really miss my mother. If she hadn't died, my father would probably not be so bitter and cold. My Aunt Narcissa was a good mom, but it wasn't the same."

"I'm sorry."  
"Don't be, darling." I pulled her to me and hugged her. "Like you said last night, we're going to bring love back to this house. Life, and happiness. I believe it will happen for us."

"Me too. Are you ready for Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, taking my hand again. 

"Academically, yes. Physically?"  
"Yeah, I know what you mean."  
"And I have NEWT classes."  
"Yikes!" Hermione teased. "I forgot it's your last year. Are you staying on?"

I sighed, "My dad wants me to apprentice under Master Phareon, his teacher. But I'll only do that when he's unavailable. I haven't told him the news yet."

"You should."  
"Yeah, I know. I will."  
"Good."

I led Hermione back inside, and after sharing a lovely candlelit dinner for two inside, we retired to our own rooms. I hated the secrecy we would have to go under once we were back at Hogwarts, but it was necessary for our safety. I didn't know what would happen with this new year, but if it was anything like the other years, I know that it will be anything but normal and easy going that was for certain...


	28. Chapter 28

Hermione 

Ron, predictably, wanted to know all about the Christmas gathering at Prince Manor, and commenting about how weird it must have been to spend it with 'the dungeon bat.' He did this all through the train ride that I finally had to set him straight.

"Actually, _Ron_ ," I snapped, "Snape is a lot of fun once you get him outside of school. You really shouldn't be so judgmental of others."

He glared at me, "Yeah? So how come Ginny got to go to the party, and not me? Huh? Huh?! Tell me that."

Harry groaned, and woke up, "Would you shut up about not being invited, Ron?! This yelling you're doing is exactly why you weren't invited. Mione' is right though about Snape, he's kind of funny when he gets drunk. You girls were gushing about the ring, and we were--"

"Whoa, hold up!" Ron shouted. "What ring?! Who got a ring for Christmas?"

I took off my left glove, and the diamonds sparkled in the light. I snatched my hand back before he could do something stupid. "I did, _Ronald_. Sebastian bought me a ring and I accepted it. Isn't it beautiful?"

Ron glared at me. "You're not even of age yet. You _cannot_ be serious about this."

Harry sat up and put his glasses back on. "Oh, they both are. Listen to me, Ron. Hermione and my brother are engaged, and I'm happy for them both. Now, you can either be supportive, and a friend, or you can leave right now."

Ron turned beet red in the face, and said, "Fine! But just so you know, I think you're a bloody idiot for marrying a Snape. They're all bloody deatheaters."

Ron stormed out, leaving me and Harry alone in our train cabin. "Thank you, Harry," I said. "I'm sorry, about Ron, I mean."

Harry sighed, "Yeah, but he's got to grow up some time. Besides, with you marrying Bastian, you really will be my sister. I think that will be so cool."

I hugged Harry, and we talked about school and what the year held for us. I know that I was so happy that I didn't hand in my time turner. I decided to drop divination and muggle studies, but with the time turner I could leisurely go about planning my wedding. I talked it over with Mrs. Malfoy, and she said that she would send me regular owl posts on what themes would work for me and Sebastian. I know she doesn't work outside Malfoy Manor, so she would probably be stressing more about my wedding than me. 

When I got to the school, there was a few Ministry officials there at the teacher's table, and a veiled thing on a platform in pride of place in front of everyone. I caught Professor Snape's eye at the table, and he saluted me with his gold chalice subtly, but even he was interested in what was going to be said. 

Dumbledore walked up to his golden owl podium, and cleared his throat after the first years were sorted into their Houses. "I have a few announcements for the start of term: this castle will not only be your home this year, but will play host to two other magical schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. But more of that later, for now, I would like to welcome Mr. Bartimius Crouch of the Ministry of Magic go explain the purpose of this veiled object in front of us."

A short man with slicked back, salt and pepper hair, mounted the podium, and said in ringing tones, "Welcome everyone for another exciting year at Hogwarts! As your headmaster explained, Hogwarts is indeed playing host to two other magical schools. The reason for this is the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Now, for those who do not know, this tournament is meant to bring harmony to rival schools, and foster good will towards others.

"A student from each school is chosen to compete in three extremely dangerous tasks. The object, of course, is to bring more prestige and honor to their school, and themselves. A substantial monetary prize is deposited automatically in their vault at Gringotts Bank, and they get to take home the Tri-Wizard Cup. Now, for the real announcements: after careful consideration by the Department of Reasonable Safety of Underage Wizards And Witches, we have decided that no wizard or witch under the age of seventeen will be allowed to compete in these dangerous tasks. Good luck, champions! Have a wonderful year, everyone!"

The school tables erupted into an intense debate over this. I looked over at my fiance and he gave me the signal of 'nothing good can come of this.' Over the summer, we perfected our silent way of communicating, and I think we now have it down to a science. Sebastian nodded, and then signaled for 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' I signaled back. The veil was lifted off of the goblet of fire, and it spouted off some blue flames for a dramatic effect. The Tri-Wizard Cup looked like a gaudy, clear cup that held no appeal for me, but the Weasley twins were staring at it appreciatively. 

Then Professor McGonagoll took the podium and announced, "In addition to this tournament, Hogwarts will also be having Yule Ball just before the Christmas holiday at the end of the year, so secure your dates now. Now, feast everyone, and welcome back to Hogwarts."

I looked down at my engagement ring, and felt relief that at least I had a guaranteed date to this dance. Harry groaned, and so did many of the other boys, but the girls were overjoyed. 

"Oh, Hermione!" Parvarti squealed, "You are soo lucky! You simply have to invite me to your wedding! I don't care if it'll be a Slytherin party."

I laughed, "Sure, Parv. I'll see what I can do. Do you have a fancy sari to wear?"

"Yep. Me and Parma both," She said. "I should put one on you so you can try it out. I think it would look awesome on you."

"Cool! But later on, alright?"  
"Sure, you bet."

I didn't like being separated from Sebastian during this time, but since we spent the holidays together, we couldn't be seen as too clingy. When we all were dismissed to go to our common rooms, I felt him snake an arm around my waist, and pull me into a corridor. 

"Hey, beautiful," He said, kissing me. I kissed him back. "So, do you want to go to this ball thing? I mean, we could always skip it for some alone time in the Room of Requirement."

I ran a hand down his chest, and stared into his beautiful onyx eyes. "Are you kidding? We're like the it couple now. If we don't show up to this dance, it's gonna look kind of bad."

Sebastian chuckled, and cupped my face with his hand. "Alright, alright. I am totally at your mercy, babe. I was just suggesting that we sneak out for some us time, because this whole school year we will be busy."

I had not thought of that. "Fine, okay, you have me there. I just thought you didn't want to go to the ball."

He traced my lips with his thumb. "Oh, we're dancing, but I was wondering if you maybe wanted to make the rest of the evening more...private, shall we say?"

I stepped away from him, and narrowed my eyes. "Ugh, is sex all you think about?"

"No, it's not, but--"  
"You thought you would try it."  
"I didn't mean it like that, Hermione, honest," Sebastian soothed, "But I want to know _you_ , love. What you want, what you don't want me to do to you. I want us to not be totally ignorant on the night."

I blushed, and suddenly understood his point. Heaven knows, I scolded Ron Weasley enough to grow up. I needed to do the same when it came to my relationship. "We're not going all the way," I warned him, "But...I...I've just always been modest. I still wear one pieces in the summer for god's sake. I just don't want you to think I'm ugly or anything if we get naked."

Sebastian looked at me seriously, "Hermione, I could never think you were ugly. Never. You're beautiful in here," He touched my heart, "And here as well," He caressed my face, making me shiver. "I love _you_. And you have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"I don't?"  
"No, you don't," He shook his head. "Can I get a kiss to dream about you?"

I nodded, and he pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and ran my fingers through his soft, black hair as he pinned me up against the wall, kissing me thoroughly. We broke the kiss for air, and we parted. 

I straightened my uniform, and I had to even out my breathing before I went to the fat lady portrait. "Collywobbles," I said.

"Indeed," The fat lady said tiredly, and opened the door. I took a shower, and went over my class timetable before bed, as was my natural habit: Transfiguration  
Arithmancy  
Potions  
Herbology  
Ancient Runes  
History of Magic  
Defense Against The Dark Arts  
Care Of Magical Creatures   
Astronomy

The classes wouldn't be in the same order every day, and sometimes I had a study period, but otherwise, I had a full plate academically. Thank goodness, for the time turner. 

I checked my note journal, and I smiled when I found a note from Sebastian in it: 

_Study date this weekend? I'm already going to be swamped with NEWT exams. I totally need your help with it. --S.P._

_You just want an excuse to see me again, silly. --H.G._

_Yes, of course. I could always sneak into your bed if you want to see me sooner.--S.P._

_Tempting, but no. I have to study, perv. I love you. --H.G._

_You too, Princess. Always. --S.P._

I closed the book, and rubbed my eyes. I set my alarm clock, even though last year some of the girls thought it weird that I would bring such a muggle device in the dormitory. I really missed snuggling with Sebastian, and being able to see him, always. What was wrong with me? It wasn't like me to obsess over guys. I slept that first night with a smile on my face, but it was one of the last stress less nights in the entire year I was soon to discover...


	29. Chapter 29

Sebastian 

The frenzy began with the announcement of the foreign magical schools coming to visit. As Hermione predicted, we barely had time to ourselves because of our classes. She had OWLs to study for, and I had NEWT classes to get through. On top of this, my Aunt Narcissa kept bugging Hermione on wedding planning decisions, and the stress was getting to her.

"Draco, could you get your mum to back off on the crazed planning?" I asked my cousin after the fifth fight we had over the place settings. 

Draco sighed, and said, "Yeah, I'll talk with her. But I expect to be bumped up to Best Man for this crap."

I laughed, "Hey, I'll do the same thing when you get married."

We shook on it. "You got it, bro. But you know, I could totally shock the family by going gay for my wedding."

I laughed, "Oh? And who would the lucky dude be?"

"Blaise or Ted."  
"Not Harry?"  
"Glasses aren't my thing, Bastian. You know that. Course' I'm gonna marry a chick," Draco giggled, "But seriously, thanks for making me Best Man."

I patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, you bet. Just run interference with your mom, she's driving Hermione crazy."

"I knew she would."  
"Thanks. I have a study date."  
Draco tossed me a condom. "Here, you might need it. You never know."

"O-okay. I'm not gonna ask."  
"Don't. It comes from being too lazy sometimes to cast the anti-birth charm," Draco said, bored. "But if the witch doesn't like it, I use the muggle method, you know? Just keep it."

I stuffed it in one of the pockets of my robes. "Thanks, I guess."

I flipped my time turner to when Hermione wanted to meet, and when I saw her by the black lake, she greeted me with a chaste kiss. We sat in the shaded privacy of the old weeping willow, and took out our studying things, and for the first half hour did nothing but study. 

When we were done with that, we laid on the picnic blanket she brought with her in her bag, and we snuggled together as we looked up at the leafy canopy of our semi private sanctuary. 

The breeze picked up, and Hermione shivered against me. I threw an arm around her, and our eyes met. I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, and kissed her. Her lips moved underneath mine as my hands traveled down her slender waist, and cupped her nice ass underneath her skirt.

"Mmm, that's nice," She murmured. "That feels nice."

"Lie back," I instructed.  
"But Bastian..."  
"Relax, you'll like this. Trust me."  
"O-okay. I trust you..."

✂------

Hermione

A wicked gleam flashed in my fiance's eyes as he got off of me and parted my legs with his knee. He began to kiss up my legs, and lift up my skirt. I didn't know what he was up to, exactly, but the way he was grinning, I knew it had to be something enjoyable, right?

He left little nips with his teeth, and then he did something I never expected him to do: he slipped a finger inside of me. I gasped at the sensation as he began to move his finger in and out of me. 

"Lift up," He said.  
I obeyed, and he slid my panties off. I almost asked him what he was going to do next, but he shook his head, and put a finger to his lips. I no longer questioned what he was doing when he rolled his thumb along my clit and began to lick along my folds.

"Ooh...Sebastian..."  
"Shhh...just enjoy it, I want to see you enjoy it," He purred. 

He continued his ministrations by licking up and down my vagina, and stimulating my breasts through my bra with his free hand. I instinctively arched my back, and felt my body go wet for him as he continued to thrust his fingers in and out of me while he licked me down there. Finally, I felt myself come undone, and as I was about to scream out my pleasure, Sebastian silenced me by kissing me deeply. He rubbed a finger between my soaked thighs and I shuddered as I began to cry. 

He held me close and when I came down off of my intense orgasm he asked, "Did you like that?"

"Mmhm," I murmured. "It felt amazing. I've only just sometimes touched myself. That felt...I've never felt it like that before."

Sebastian kissed my temple, "It's because it's me doing it."

"But you can't have gotten much out of it," I reasoned, "I mean...I didn't even get to touch you."

Sebastian looked genuinely surprised, "Well...we do have time turners...But you might not be ready for doing the same to me."

I blushed, "You...you mean, I could use my mouth to umm...isn't that kind of gross?"

Sebastian laughed, "Well...kind of. But it feels amazing, I have to tell you. It almost feels like I'm inside a girl when you use your mouth."

"Oh..Oh!" I exclaimed, suddenly understanding. "I heard Susan Bones talk about it once, and she said her ex didn't wash his first, and he kind of pushed her head on him, and she never wanted to do it again afterwards."

"He sounds like an asshole," Sebastian remarked. "Well, I can assure you that I won't do that to you. I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable or you aren't ready for."

I found my panties and put them back on, and laid back down on the blanket. "I know. I just...I never expected you to make out with me like that," I confessed. "I think I would rather be more private when I do the same to you."

"It's fine with me, whatever you're ready for," He said, sitting up. "Are you ready for dinner? I think the students from the other schools are showing up tonight."

Hermione yawned, "Yes. I just wish I could sit with you alone."

"Me too. Come," He said, standing, and holding out his hand. I took it and packed up our stuff. I smoothed down my uniform as best as I could, and as we went to the Great Hall, we did it holding hands in front of everyone. I didn't give a damn about school House rivalry, any of that crap. I was engaged, damn it! 

Each school's arrival was dramatic and everyone seemed impressed. The girls loved the golden wheelhouse carrying the Beauxbatons girls, with Pegasus horses pulling it, and the boys loved the huge black war ship coming up like a submarine out of the black lake. I personally didn't care, it was just one more gross display of which school could one up the other. Pathetic.

I sat with my friends at the Grffindor table, and the girls from Beauxbatons was announced first. They all wore these cute sky blue business uniforms with different jeweled broaches on their lapels to distinguish their different school Houses. All of them were pretty, much prettier than me, and I felt so plain and ugly beside them.

Next came the Durmstrang guys, and even though Sebastian is model gorgeous, and the best wizard a witch could have, I had to admit that some of them were attractive. They wore these all red military style robes with a decorative dagger on their belt, and the Slytherin table cheered the most for them.

When dinner was over, I suddenly wanted to be anywhere but in school..for once. I just wanted to be free of this stupid place, and be my own witch, instead of hide my engagement from the whole school. How in the world would I get through this year? I had no idea...


	30. Chapter 30

Harry

One Month Later...

  
It took a month for the students from the other two magical schools to assimilate fully into the student body. Not surprisingly, a lot of the Beauxbatons girls were out of sorts when Sebastian told them he was not only not available but engaged. Harry was kind of jealous of his older half brother. Sebastian was popular, smart as hell, a terror on the Quidditch field on the Slytherin team as Keeper, and witches flocked to him like bees to pollen.

But now that the three champions from each school were chosen, Dumbledore announced that only one champion would go down in glory. But he paused in his speech as the Goblet of Fire spewed another piece of paper from the cup.

The paper floated to Dumbledore's hand, and he murmured, "Harry Potter?" Then he called out. "Harry Potter."

When Harry didn't get up, Hermione all but pushed him to his feet, and Dumbledore then bellowed, "HARRY POTTER!"

Harry got his ass moving, and the entire school stared at him. He heard words like "Cheater," and "What the hell?! He's not even seventeen yet!"

Harry looked at Ron, but he glared at him. Sebastian nodded his head encouragingly. Snape looked indifferent as always, but McGonagoll was looking at him with a very worried expression on her face. Dumbledore shoved the note paper in his hands, and pointed him to where the other champions were waiting. The blonde French girl from Beauxbatons was talking to Viktor Krum, the thin Albanian boy from Durmstrang Institute. Cedric Diggory greeted him politely, and patted his back, but didn't say much.

There was a big commotion from outside the doors of the room they kept us in, and Dumbledore, Crouch, the Ministry guy, Madame Maxine, the giantess headmistress of Beauxbatons, Igor Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang Institute, and Mad Eye Mooney, the crazy one eyed auror who was Dumbledore's friend obviously.

Dumbledore grabbed Harry and demanded, "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"No, sir."  
"Did you get one of the older students to do it for you? Say..your brother?" Dumbledore demanded.

"No, sir! I never even touched it," Harry said, indignant that he would be accused of cheating.

"You're _absolutely_ sure?!"  
"Yes, sir!"

Madame Maxine scoffed, "But of course, 'e is lying!"

"The hell he is!" Mooney exclaimed gruffly. "Only a powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked such a powerful magical device. Way beyond the tomes of a fourth year, I would say."

"Well, _you_ seem to have given this a fair amount of thought Mad Eye," Karkaroff accused. "Maybe _you_ did this."

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do, Karkaroff," Mad Eye shot back, "Perhaps you remember."

Karkaroff blanched, and didn't say anything else after that. Dumbledore sighed, and asked Crouch, "Well, Barty. We leave this in your hands: should Potter compete or not?"

Crouch fidgeted with his gray wool robe, and nodded his head. "The rules are absolute. Putting one's name into the Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter's name did physically go into the cup, so therefore, he must compete. I wish there was a loophole around this, but there is not."

Harry and the other champions were dismissed, but not before Harry caught the faintest hint of alarm in his step father's face. Snape said nothing to him, though, and swept out of the room, his robes floating out behind him like large black bat wings.

Harry got back to Gryffindor tower and Ron asked, "So, how did you do it? You can tell me, mate. I promise I won't tell anyone how you did it."

Harry slapped his towel on the dormitory furnace warming rack. "I didn't put my name in that cup, Ron! I don't _want_ eternal glory, and all of that crap Dumbledore said earlier. I just want to go to school, graduate, and maybe be an auror after school. You're just being stupid."

"Piss off," Ron grumbled, and turned over in his bed. Harry laid in bed for a long time before sleep claimed him, but even when he found out what the first task of the tournament, it did not ease his suspicions that someone very dark, and very powerful wanted him dead on Voldemort's orders. He didn't believe that it was Snape, but he had a feeling that Sebastian would help him, him or Hermione. Yes, they were the key to help him get through this in one piece...


	31. Chapter 31

Severus

Dumbledore's office became a hot bed of debate and angry words were being bandied about by the time the dark wizard arrived at the Headmaster's convenience. 

"You summoned me, Headmaster?" He asked, keeping his face impassive. 

McGonagoll looked worried, "Oh, Severus. Perhaps you can reason with this old fool! He says that he wants to allow Potter to compete. He's just a boy, not a piece of meat!"

Dumbledore rounded on the elderly witch, "And what else would you have me do, Minerva?! Expel him? Make him go back to his family?"

Minerva folded her arms across her bony chest. " _Anything_ would be better than to allow Mr. Potter to endanger himself. People die in these so called tasks. To devil with Crouch and his rules!"

Severus decided to allow Harry Potter to compete, because he suspected that Karkaroff and other deatheaters were involved. He just had to know who was in place. 

He cleared his throat, "Headmaster, I too see that this situation is quite suspicious. However, if we are to discover who was behind putting Potter's name into the Goblet of Fire, we should, for the time being, let things unfold."

Dumbledore nodded his head in agreement, "I agree...with Severus."

McGonagoll could only take an emotional tack in this situation, "Ugh, you two are the worst! But if Potter dies, his blood is on your hands, you mark my words!"

She left the office, slamming the door behind her. "Shall I leave?"

"In a bit, but only to ask that your son keep an eye on Harry," Dumbledore said.

"I will tell him."  
"Thank you, Severus."  
"I don't do this for your gratitude, old man," Severus scowled. "May I have your leave to go?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily, "Yes, for now. But you will do your job, as always. As will he."

"Is that a threat, old man?" Severus rounded on him. How _dare_ the old fool bring his son into this! 

Dumbledore actually blanched at the hostility in the younger wizard's eyes. "No, I'm just stating the facts."

"My son will not be hurt by your schemes. I would die for him. Remember that when you try to rope him into your manipulations," He said curtly, and swept out of the room, his black teacher's robes billowing out behind him like wings...

🐍------

Sebastian was waiting for him when he got back to his quarters, and he asked, "May we speak about Harry?"

He had on his prefect badge, so he could be out after hours, and Severus felt no guilt about letting his son into his rooms. He fixed them both drinks, and Sebastian nursed his drink slowly. 

"This tastes like shit," Sebastian confessed. "I don't know how you stand the taste."

Severus smiled, and drank a good portion of his firewhisky. "It's called a long love hate relationship with alcohol. I used to hate the taste at your age too. Until I was stupid, and joined the Dark Lord's ranks."

"You're far from stupid, dad," Sebastian pointed out. "A bit of a hard case to the students, and you terrify a lot of them, but I know you played no favorites with me, that's for sure."

Severus snorted, and saluted his son, "All by design. I can only imagine you being as much of a spoiled brat as Draco, if I had indulged you as your Uncle wished. But you were here to talk about Potter."

Sebastian grinned. "Yes. I simply came to ask if you know who might have put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire."

Severus drained his glass and set it aside to pace the room. "I suspect just about everyone, save you, but I cannot prove it. Yet."

Sebastian nodded. "And what of the weird lack of polyjuice potion ingredients? I took the inventory recently, and found that someone is certainly stealing the ingredients."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that, but kept his face devoid of expression, a difficult task when people are somehow stealing one's personal potions ingredients. "If it is your brother, he will be most sorry, indeed."

Sebastian swallowed a lump in his throat. "I will keep an eye out for him always, you know that."

"See that you do."  
"Yes, dad."  
"And son?"  
"If it is you, adult or not, you will have detention the rest of the term. Do I make myself clear, boy?" Severus demanded.

Sebastian nodded, and he waved his hand to dismiss him. His son left, and he continued to drink long into the night to try to erase the nagging doubts and suspicions in his mind. Exhaustion finally claimed him, and he slept for four hours before he had to go teach idiotic students when he had a raging hangover. Great, just freaking great, but hey, that's life...


	32. Chapter 32

Sebastian

I hated having to hear from a second hand source that Ron Weasley and my brother were on the outs. I had to hear it from Seamus Finnegan of all people, and I don't know if it was because he was in a stupid generous mood, or what have you, but he let the rumors slip that my brother was having a rough time of people believing that he was innocent of putting his name into the Goblet of Fire. Even the whole of Gryffindor House, save for Hermione, seemed to be hellbent against the so called Boy Who Lived. 

"Do you know where he is now, Mr. Finnegan?" I asked, not aware that I sounded like my father. 

"Nope. What do I look like his keeper?" Seamus asked, and walked off. 

I had no time to make further inquiries after that, because the bell rang, and we had separate classes. I got through quick as could be, and found my brother towards the front of the DADA classroom. I sat next to my brother and wrote in my note journal: " _Whats up, brother? Sickle for your thoughts?"_

Harry opened up his journal and wrote: " _Ron and I are fighting. He's a jealous, stupid git, and I've tried to tell him so many times I didn't do it, but he won't believe me."_

Me: " _Well, me and Hermione believe you. Let me find out about this first task, and I'll tell you about it. Fair?"_

Harry stuffed his journal in his book bag, and said, "Deal. Thanks, Bastian.' "

The new DADA Professor was not going to be my father as everyone assumed, but a straggly haired, homeless looking wizard with a strange blue glass eye, and a twitchy beady brown eye. He had one metal prosthetic leg, and it made loud noises as he shuffled around with a big thick cane. 

He wrote by hand on the chalkboard Alastor Moody. Moody turned his hard, weathered face on the class, and I could swear he sneered at me before addressing the class directly.

"Alastor Moody," He said in a gruff, hard voice, "Ex auror, Ministry malcontent. I'm here because Dumbledore asked me. Goodbye, the end. When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach. Now, which of you can tell me how many Unforgiveable Curses there are?"

Hermione rose her hand. "Three, sir."

"And they are so named?" Moody asked, eying my fiancee strangely. 

Hermione cleared her throat, "Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will--"

"Earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban, correct!" Moody nearly shouted. He wrote down things on the chalkboard furiously. "Now, the Ministry thinks you're too young to know what these curses can do. But, I say different! You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared and..." Moody glared at Seamus Finnegan, and growled, "You need to find a different place to put your chewing gum besides the underside of your desk, Mr. Finnegan!"

Seamus muttered something about Moody being a crazy codger, and Moody growled, "Oh, I can hear quite well for a crazy ass old codger, Mr. Finnegan! Thirty points from Gryffindor."

Moody then did a weird flick of his tongue that really struck me as strange, because Barty Crouch Jr. always did that as a nervous tick. What the fuck? "Now," Moody continued, "Which of you can tell me about a curse?"

"The Cruciatus Curse, sir," I spoke up. People turned to look at me with astonishment, because I rarely spoke up in class.

Moody eyed me closely, and he said sarcastically, "Ah yes, Your Majesty. Your _father_ would know all about that."

I glared at him right back. "Yes, and I would know a certain slit faced psycho who loves to inflict it on his back on a regular basis."

Moody laughed, "Oh, my apologies, Your Majesty, for giving offense! Since you seem so eager, take out one of those spiders, and demonstrate the first Unforgivable."

I ignored the titters of laughter from the class. I took out a venomous black widow, and cast, "Engorgio."

The black widow became three times her own size, and of course, Ron Weasley began whimpering like the coward he was. I let the spider walk on to a desk, and I cast the Cruciatus Curse. The spider began screeching and writhing. I looked at Hermione's disturbed face, and immediately ended the spell.

Moody wrote down Cruciatus Curse as the first Unforgivable Curse. "You can sit down now, Mr. Prince," Moody said gruffly. "Which of you can give me the second curse?"

Hermione hesitantly raised her hand. Moody noticed the ring on her hand, and grinned wolfishly, "Go on, Miss. Granger."

"The Imperious Curse," She said. "It makes the victim do whatever the caster wants them to do...like a living puppet."

"An excellent analogy," Moody agreed, "Do demonstrate on the spider if you would."

Hermione hesitantly got up, and cast with her wand, "Imperio."

The spider began to do all sorts of tricks for her, and she made the class laugh when she made the spider land on Ron Weasley. Draco Malfoy got it on his arm, and then she made it land on my hand. I pet the spider, and winked at her, she winked back. Moody wrote down Imperious Curse on the blackboard.

"Perhaps you can give us the last demonstration, Mr. Malfoy?" Moody asked. Draco looked like he was suddenly put on the spot, but he got up, and went to the spider. I released it from my hand, and she walked docilely on to the desk. 

"Avada Kedavra!" Draco cast with his wand, but the spider did not die. 

"Why didn't the spider die, sir?" Draco asked, confused.

Moody grinned, pleased. "Class, as with any spell, you must cast it with a clear intention in your mind. I bet that most of you could cast the killing curse on me, and I would not die. Why? Because you do not believe deep down, or hold enough hatred for me to desire death in your minds. But I will bring up the one student who probably could stop my heart: Mr. Prince, you're up."

The class stared at me, and I ignored them. I approached the spider and cast the killing curse, "Avada Kedavra!" 

Green magic issued from my sleek black wand and the spider died instantly. I quickly sat back down beside my brother. Moody wrote down the third curse on the blackboard.

"Now, I want two rolls of parchment on the uses of these curses, and why these three were chosen above many more obscure destructive ones," Moody ordered. 

The bell rang, signalling the end of class, and Harry looked at me with shock, and brushed past me. Hermione met up with me and my friends, and while I was praised for my deed in killing the spider, I could tell that Hermione wanted to talk to me alone.

"Draco, could you guys meet up with me later?" I asked, "Hermione wants to talk to me."

When we were alone, she hugged me, and asked, "Why in the world was Moody being such a jerk towards you? And what was that about Snape being tortured?"

I pulled her a nearby bench in the inner courtyard and sat her down. "Moody hates my father, naturally. But I suspect it has more to do with some of the strange happenings going on this year. As to my dad being tortured, if you were to see my father shirtless, you would see that it's littered with scars from the Cruciatus Curse. The Dark Lord...let's just say that he's not kind to even his most loyal soldiers."

Hermione put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my God. But...But wait, would he necessarily know that as an auror?"

I smiled, and shook my head. "Nope. I don't have proof yet, but polyjuice potion ingredients have gone missing in my father's personal stores. I know Harry, you, or Ron are not using them, but someone who could possibly want to harm my brother would need polyjuice potion to get past the security wards of the castle."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Yes, of course! And, do you remember that the first night of term, the Great Hall ceiling rained?!" She said excitedly, "According to Hogwarts: A History, only a security breach would trigger the Great Hall ceiling to do that."

I kissed her. "Yes, it would," I agreed, smiling, "Do you think you could get away later? I want some real time with you."

Hermione blushed, "Doing what?"

I leaned close to her, and whispered, "Strip study session? Every wrong answer someone has to take off an article of clothing."

Hermione kissed me, and whispered, "I'll see what I can do." I gave a lingering, heated kiss, and left her there. I met up with Draco and the Slytherin team for practice, and we had a good session with everyone not fighting, for once. 

I headed back towards the school when I noticed a fiery light emanating from the Forbidden Forest. I stealthily crept closer, and saw Hagrid with Ron Weasley. Weasley looked sickly, and then I quickly saw why: dragons! The first task was that the tri-Wizard champions had to face dragons! I quickly slipped away, and wrote a note to Harry to be wary of dragons in the first upcoming task. I did not envy my brother one bit. But the question still remained: who put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire? And...Just who was stealing my father's polyjuice potion ingredients? I was more determined than ever to find out...


	33. Chapter 33

Sebastian 

I watched Hermione head back to the bleachers after hugging Harry in the champion's tent, and wishing them good luck. I had already given my good wishes in the morning before I left for the makeshift field where the dragons were being kept for the first task. I did this, because between my upcoming NEWT exams and wedding planning preparations, I was absolutely swamped. Hermione was as well, and we had to take a rain check on our "study session." 

The other three champions went first, and while it was thrilling, I knew that Harry drew the worst dragon out of the lot, and I wished that I could have helped him. When it was Harry's turn, he looked utterly terrified, but his face was resolute and determined to see this thing through.

When the horned dragon nearly incinerated Harry twice, and he had to roll to duck behind some boulders to protect himself against the dragon roasting him alive, but when he jumped up on his firebolt broomstick, I cheered him on like everyone else. Harry jumped on his broom and flew off, and everyone wondered where the hell he went. The dragon broke its chain and flew after Harry. 

"This is not good," I muttered.  
Hermione looked at me, scared, "Where do you think he went?"

"Somewhere to draw off the dragon so he can collect his golden egg," I surmised. The Slytherin in me admired this strategy, but Hermione fidgeted in her lap, worrying. I took her gloved hand in mine, kissing it. She smiled. 

We heard a howling off in the distance, and then Harry flew in to collect his golden egg. He landed, and I had been one of the first to hug him. 

"You crazy, crazy, bastard!" I laughed, and tousled his sweaty hair. "Don't ever scare me like that again, man!" 

Harry laughed, "Not much choice with a murderous dragon on your tail."

Hermione cried, and hugged her best friend fiercely, kissing his cheeks. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" She exclaimed. "You scared me half to death out there, you reckless fool!"

Harry hugged Hermione back, smiling, "I love you too, 'Mione."

We headed back to Gryffindor tower, and that was where I had to say goodbye. "Bastian,' please stay," Hermione said, pulling me to her.

I kissed her cheek, and shook my head, "I can't. You know the rivalry. But come find me, the password to get past the portrait is tiddlywinks."

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit."  
"Great. I'm looking forward to it," I said, winking. 

Hermione went back to the after party, and I went to the dungeons to report on what I suspected to my father.

He flashed me a rare grin, and said, "You have a good memory from only having met Crouch twice at a Malfoy ball."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I can't forget that stupid nervous tick of his to lick at his lips like a snake almost. He would seem the type to try to harm Harry on the Dark Lord's orders."

My father nodded, "I will take your words under advisement. Now, get some rest. You have morning exams, do you not?"

"Yes, but I have some last minute studying to do," I said, keeping the insinuations of making out with my fiancee out of my voice. 

"Ah. Well, be sure to wrap up your...studying in a timely fashion," My father scoffed. 

I winked, "I always do."  
"Yes, I know."

I created a nice, calming ambiance in my dorm when I heard the knock. I opened it, and there stood Hermione, dressed in her uniform. I let her in, and we had a rather thorough...study session that ensured that neither of us would ever forget the lesson...


	34. Chapter 34

Hermione

Ever since the students from the other international wizarding schools showed up, The Daily Prophet has been having a freaking field day with the Tri-Wizard tournament. I didn't mind interviewing with most of the reporters, because they were all very congenial for the most part...until Rita Skeeter showed up. Why she felt like she had an axe to grind with me, I don't know, but I mentioned favoring Harry Potter in his chances of winning the tournament, and chatting in a _friendly_ way with Viktor Krum, alongside my fiance Sebastian, and all of a sudden I was being painted as the 'champion's harlot.'

When I woke up for the day of the second task, of which I had to go to Dumbledore's office early in the morning for being one of the 'treasures,' one of the champions have to retrieve out of the black lake, I found the latest issue of The Daily Prophet laid out on the main coffee table.

SCANDAOUS ENGAGEMENT!!

By: Rita Skeeter

After speaking with the pug faced Granger yet again, I noticed a rather beautiful diamond ring on her pudgy ring finger! 

As you are no doubt aware as my rabid readers, Miss. Hermione Granger was seen hugging and kissing not only the famous Bulgarian seeker Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute, and famous Harry Potter, but that she blatantly flaunted a rather expensive, exquisite engagement ring! 

She has denied several times that she is _not_ caught in such a heinous polyamorous affair, but the eyes do not lie, rabid readers! I can only conclude that as Harry Potter is not of age, she is Krum's fiancee. Unless...she cares not for the convention of both wizarding and muggle cultural morality, and is The Boy Who Lived's future bride! 

One would think the witch, (and I use the term loosely here, my readers), that she is, as the muggles slavishly term a cougar. I can only imagine what poor Cedric Diggory, the true Hogwarts champion is thinking and feeling, as he must feel quite left out of the romantic hijinks.

Your faithful, tireless reporter Rita Skeeter _will_ find out the truth. For as you know, nothing can get past me and a great story...

I crumbled up the entire article and showed it in my book bag. I got dressed in my uniform, and marched my way to Dumbledore's office. The other people there, including Professor Snape, was shocked by my rage. 

"Is something wrong, Miss. Granger?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape looked at me, and he said quietly, "I will see to Miss. Granger. Will you give us a few minutes Headmaster?"

"Certainly, Severus," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling, thinking whatever passes for amusement in his old age.

The office was cleared out, and Professor Snape dropped the cold facade. He cast several silencing charms, and said, "Speak, Miss. Granger--"

"Oh, don't Miss. Granger me!" I snapped, and shoved the Skeeter article in his hands. "Skeeter has gone too far this time! Read that, and tell me what you make of it."

A muscle ticked in the potions master's jaw, the only indication of anger on his face. He threw the newspaper in the fireplace and took a few calming breaths. 

"You wouldn't be the first Miss. Skeeter has tried to slander," He finally said. "Nor the last. I myself have been where you are now many, many times. It is best to ignore her ramblings."

I went to him, and I wanted a hug, some kind of warmth from my future father in law, but I didn't receive anything beyond a hug. 

"It's easier said than done," I murmured, breathing in the scent of his cologne, mint, and herbs from him, and revelling in the feel of his wool frock coat against my cheek. 

I sniffed, and cried some more, "I'm sorry to cry, sir, but, with all that's going on, and Narcissa Malfoy still pestering me about what kind of roses I want in my bouquet and OWLS coming up, I don't need this shit piled on top."

Professor Snape chuckled, "No, you don't, I will agree with you there. The very fact that people would even believe such drivel just shows their ignorance."

I chuckled, loving the feeling of being held. I wish it was Sebastian holding me, but it was nice having a father figure hug me too. He kissed the top of my head, and pulled away from me. 

"May I try occlumency on you?"   
"Uh, why?"  
"For you to stay calm," Snape informed me, "If you had the ability yourself, I would advise you to use it, but as my son is not here, it leaves me to be the one to do it."

We sat side by side in Dumbledore's office chairs. "Okay, what do I have to do?" I asked.

"Do you trust me?"  
"To keep me safe? Sure."  
"No," Snape shook his head, "I am talking about complete trust. Do you trust me with your _mind_?"

I thought about it, and then said, "Yes. We're practically family, and if you wanted to harm me, you could have done it so many times. I have no illusions that you would be a very dangerous enemy to have, former deatheater or not."

"Good," Snape said, his obsidian eyes sparkling with grim amusement, though the rest of his face was a mask of cold indifference. "And you would be correct in that assessment, Hermione. Now, I'm going to hold your hands, and I'm going to stare into your eyes and do occlumency to ease these negative thoughts of yours. Any questions?"

"Why the hand holding?"  
Snape grinned wolfishly, "Because you will need the physical anchor to the material world. I assure you, there is nothing inappropriate about this."

I took a deep breath, and held out my hands. Professor Snape took my hands in his, and his hands were heavily callused from potions and wand duelling. They were also quite strong, which was surprising, because he appears so thin and not as strong as he clearly was.

I nodded, and our eyes met. He entered my mind, and read what was there, and he was doing occlumency to erase them from my mind like one would a memory charm. The sensation felt weird as we stared at each other, and the feeling of his hands on mine reassured my equilibrium that we were still on planet earth. All too soon, Snape broke contact, and I felt immediately better.

"Thank you, sir," I said, breathing easier. "I do feel a lot better."

"Good. Now, I will take my leave." He was halfway out the door when I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight.

At first, he flinched from me, but then he relented and hugged me. "If you try that in class, I will give you detention."

I smiled, "I won't, I promise. But that's okay, you're like a cat, you only give your love to people who are worthy of it."

Snape rolled his eyes, and left the office quietly. Everyone else came back in, and asked if I was alright. 

"I'm fine, really," I reassured them for the sixth time of them asking me. "Professor Snape gave me a...healing potion. Now, what's involved with being a treasure in this game?"

Dumbledore explained, "I will place you, Miss. Chang, Miss. Delacour, and you Mr. Weasley under a sleeping spell. You will be able to breathe as the merpeople do, and not drown for the two hours you will be trapped down in the black lake."

"Bloody hell, Professor," Ron blurted, "I'm not too keen to chumming with merpeople, thank you, very much. They look like the stuff of nightmares."

Dumbledore laughed, "You won't even see them, Mr. Weasley. How does that sound?"

Ron smiled, and said, "That sounds good. I'm in. But um, what if the champions don't get to us on time?"

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, "An excellent question, Mr. Weasley. Well, if that should happen, the Ministry has an agreement with the mer people to bring you all to the surface unharmed."

"Oh, okay. Just curious is all."  
Dumbledore put us all under the spell, and my last thought before going under was that I hoped Sebastian was just as enraged about the newest Rita Skeeter article as I was... 


	35. Chapter 35

Sebastian 

With my NEWTS exams being scheduled one by one during the time of the second task, I had little time to read or even pay attention to The Daily Prophet. Now, the rumors were circulating that Hermione was somehow sleeping with Viktor Krum and my brother. I found it ridiculous, of course, but this whole engagement business disturbed me. Sure, Hermione couldn't help but wear her diamond ring, it was magically latched to her ring finger until the end of our courtship officially, but I didn't think the meddlesome former Slytherin witch actually gave credence to these ridiculous rumors. 

I stood with my friends on the dock, and I prayed that Harry had enough sense to use the gillyweed to help him breathe underwater. 

Draco booed Harry on principle, but he just shrugged his shoulders and smirked, "No hard feelings, right coz?"

I shook my head, "No, we're good. I'm more concerned about my brother getting past the grindylows myself."

"I'd curse them buggers m'self," Goyle grumbled. "But then again me dad wouldn't want me in some Sissy Mary game t'begin with, y'know?" 

"You said it, mate," Crabbe chuckled. "We gonna check out them Frenchy girlies. Draco, wanna come?"

Draco smirked, "Nah, man, I'll sit with my cousin and godfather."

We watched Tweedle Dee and Dum walk off, and when they didn't think anyone was looking, they found a quiet place to snog and do god's know what else.

Draco smirked, "Holy shit, Blaise was right about something. Hey Blaise!"

Blaise strolled over with two black witches from Beauxbatons on both arms. He whispered something suggestive in Italian to one of them, and she giggled like crazy. "Can't it wait, dude? I've never had twins. They say you double your pleasure when you get trim from sisters like this."

Draco went over to Blaise's side and whispered what he saw to him. Blaise giggled, "Ah. And guess what? You owe me thirty galleons. I _told_ you, Crabbe and Goyle were beaters on and off the Quidditch field."

Draco pulled out his black leather wallet and fished out the money. "Go ahead and take it, you filthy extortionist."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. I've got twin pussies to dip my snake in. Wish me luck, guys!"

"Stay safe, Blaise," I said lamely.  
"Yeah, whatever married boy," Blaise laughed, clapping me on the back. "Your life is officially over once you say 'I do,' just so you're aware."

I shook my head, and hugged my friend. "I am. Now, go have fun, Zambini."

Blaise winked, "Oh, I will. Chao, losers!"

Blaise walked off, pinching one of his conquest's ass cheeks as they walked back to the Slytherin common room. I almost envied Blaise's ability to womanize, because I used to be like him. My father may think he's ugly, and whatever, but I know from using legilimency, that more than a few witches would love for him to bone them for a night, just to say they got to see what the buttons, and layers of clothes hid. I sort of saw it as my duty to give them Snape Junior, and make sure they wouldn't be able to walk right when it came time for them to leave.

My father joked a few times that the one thing my dad was pleased to inherit from the abusive muggle who was my grandfather, was a sizable dick. Of course, I gave it all up for Hermione, because that's love, folks. But on to the second task...

🐍----------

The cannon fired, and as one, the four champions jumped as one into the freezing waters of the black lake. Harry swallowed some seaweed looking stuff, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're lucky I want your brother to survive," My father grumbled beside me. "Otherwise, you would have bought a month's worth of detention, Sebastian."

"I'm sorry, dad."  
"I know."

Halfway through the task, Fleur delacour, the pretty blonde French witch decided to forfeit her participation in the task. Coward. 

"Humph, more beauty than brains, that one," I commented dryly.

My father grinned. "No doubt your lioness would tough it out until the end."

"Damn straight. _My_ lioness."  
"Indeed."

We turned our attention back to the task, and Krum came up for air with Hermione. She saw me, and as soon as she ascended the ladder, she ran to me, and kissed me. I kissed her back, and hugged her tightly. Fuck keeping my relationship with my fiancee quiet! I'm going to get married, it's not a damn crime.

"Oh, Bastian!" She said happily, "I missed you so much. Next time, no more mer people are invited to our party at the mansion."

I laughed, "Agreed."

Cedric Diggory 'saved,' Cho Chang, and Harry was almost out of time when he vaulted himself up on to the dock just as Ron Weasley, and a little blonde witch Fleur obviously knew, came up for air. Ron helped the little first year swim up on to the dock, and Fleur kissed Ron soundly on the cheek, and a much more heartfelt one on Harry's lips. Harry kissed the girl back and I could see that they shared a very brief snog session. 

Dumbledore announced that because Fleur disqualified herself by not 'saving,' her sister, that Harry came in second place after Viktor Krum, and Cedric Diggory in third place, of course.

Hermione rode back with me in the boat, and Krum looked confused as to seeing us together. He looked a little crestfallen, if I'm being honest. 

"You're a lucky wizard," Krum said, slightly sad. "Do you have a friend or sister I can ask to the ball?"

Hermione laughed, "Yeah, um, I don't think Luna Lovegood has a date. She's the eccentric blonde over there," I pointed to the next boat over. 

Viktor beamed with happiness. "She's pretty. I'll ask her now." Viktor then asked Luna to the dance, and she said yes, and winked at Hermione looking like she was on cloud nine. 

We got back to the castle, and I hugged my brother. We shared a few words, and then he asked what they were going to do about Rita Skeeter's nasty, perverted rumors.

I grinned wickedly. "Oh, I've got something planned. It involves polyjuice potion, and some Slytherins."

Hermione elbowed me in the side. "Hey! You are _not_ going to break school rules to exact our revenge, Mister!"

Draco smirked, "Aw, come on, Granger, it'll be fun. Lover boy here won't even be the one boning the false you. Pansy thinks it's hilarious, actually, and Blaise is gonna play Viktor Krum. He knows a bit of filthy Russian phrases, so it'll totally work. I'm gonna play you, Potter, so um, get ready to have all the trim you want thrown in your face. You can thank me later."

Harry blushed and said, "I'd rather bone Fleur for real. She gave me one hell of a great kiss."

"Now who likes older bedmates?" I teased, touseling my brother's hair. "Go for it if she wants. She's pretty hot. I'd make a move if I was single." 

Harry nodded, "I may just do that, thanks."

We all parted ways, except for me and Hermione. We had to do some intense "studying," and I was damned if I was going to be late for this particular study session...


	36. Chapter 36

Hermione

I debated with myself the entire trip to the dungeons. Should I be having this study date? I knew it would involve some serious making out, and I knew that of the two of us, Sebastian was the more experienced one. I had tried to stick to my childhood teachings of 'waiting until marriage,' and being a 'virgin bride,' blah, blah, blah. 

I wanted to honor my parents...until I digged some into _their_ marriage the last time I was home with them on Easter holiday. Mum had kindly explained sheepishly that they were young, and they would have waited until marriage, but then I 'happily blessed them.' Dad had been more forthcoming, and said that he simply couldn't wait, because he was young, and dumb. 

"...But you won't be, right, Min?" He asked, looking at me over his London Times newspaper. 

"No, dad, I won't," I had said. But I wondered about the wisdom of that. Was I following these principles simply to obey my parents, or did I really share their religious beliefs? I no longer knew, quite honestly. I had always been the good girl, the studious one who helped my friends pass their OWLS. But without me, I have no doubt that at least Ron would have gotten a T for Troll in many of his classes, and Harry D for Dreadfuls, especially in potions class. Thank the gods, Sebastian was just as smart as me, if not more so, studying came naturally to him, despite his popularity in his House, and being Keeper for the Slytherin Quidditch team. 

The imposing portrait of Salazar Slytherin, painted just ten years before his death, stood before me. He looked down at me, and narrowed his green eyes at me. 

"Password, mudblood?" He drawled. 

"Fortitude," I spat back at him, and just for good measure, showed off my engagement ring. 

"A pretty piece for a lowly Gryffindor," He sneered. "But, who am I to run things? I'm just a portrait now."

I sighed, "I for one hold no grudge against your House, my Lord." I curtsied, and Slytherin grinned, approving. "I'm not like most Gryffindors."

"Indeed. Straighten your back when you curtsy," He instructed. "Ladies do not slouch. Now, go in, but I will _not_ let you out if it becomes too late for your curfew. Are we understood?"

"Yes, Lord Slytherin."  
The portrait door slid open, and I went in. Draco, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zambini were hard at work making polyjuice potion. Pansy looked up from stirring her lacewing flies in, and grinned mischievously. 

"Oh good, you're here, Granger," She said, getting up. "I need some of that bird's nest you call hair. I'm so jealous that Draco already has Potter's."

I set down my book bag on the couch, and fished out some of my hairs, and handed them to Pansy. "Do I really want to know why you guys are brewing polyjuice potion? It takes a month to properly brew it. Is Professor Snape okay with this? He's already pissed off that someone is stealing from his personal stores."

Draco laughed, "It's fine, Granger. I got the ingredients from my Uncle's lab in Malfoy Manor. Now, I'm going to pose as Saint Potter, and bone Pansy, or you, and Blaise, or Viktor Krum is gonna be in on it."

"Okay, and how will Skeeter know about this scandalous orgy you guys are planning? I will not let you guys continue with this plan if it continues to smear me and Sebastian's reputations further," I asserted firmly. 

"That's the beautiful part, because we've got Slytherin House all behind us," Blaise explained. "See, you will be here with your man, Potter will be with that French chick, and they will totally deny you two were anywhere near where we're setting this shindig up. I mean, how can you and your two wizards be in two places at once?"

I didn't like the plan, there were too many variables on it going very, very wrong. "So, where will the real Viktor Krum be?" I asked.

Draco smirked, "Oh, Ted Nott's got him doing practice runs with the Quidditch team. Trust me, the guy will be way too tired to even think about boning anyone."

I picked up my book bag, and shouldered it. "Okay, well, do be careful, guys. I would hate for you guys to get in trouble over this, because one crazy witch wants to write these nasty articles. Oh, and where are the guy's dormitories?"

Pansy pointed to a hidden staircase in one of the walls. "Go right for the boys, left for girls. And don't worry about anyone hearing you guys, we have our own dorm apartments. Have fun, Granger."

"Um, thanks, I guess?"  
"Cool. Go on, get down those stairs," Pansy said. 

I went down the dark, winding stairs and took a right. Doors lined both sides of the walls, and a magical plaque with the wizard's name was on it in a neat, script. I knocked on Sebastian's door, and he opened it.

He wore his school uniform without his cloak, and the room seemed like an elegant hotel room, and very quiet, and private. 

"Hey," He said, smiling.  
"Hey. Can I come in?"  
"Sure, mi casa su casa."

I stepped in, and it was a beautiful, spacious room, designed in a studio- like layout, and it had everything but a kitchen. Along one wall was an impressive view of the black lake, so I knew that we were several feet below the surface of the lake itself. I immediately loved the peace and quiet of the whole place. I set my things down in the living room and Sebastian was grabbing his bookbag. 

We sat side by side on the plush black leather couch, and began studying advanced transfiguration. 

"Wow, McGonagoll still has us turning birds into water goblets," I commented. "This is so cool that in seventh year, she covers transfiguring furniture to design a room."

Sebastian chuckled, "Yeah, well, it is NEWT level work, after all. But based on your work, I think you can handle it just fine."

"Thanks. My friends still think I'm a geek," I said, frowning. "But at least you're a cute geek."

Sebastian laughed, and kissed my hand. "Damn straight, baby," He winked, "You're cute too."

"I am not! My hair--"  
"Is adorable."  
"I'm too skinny and--"  
Sebastian lifted my chin to meet his eyes, "Minnie, babe. You're _not_ skinny. Trust me on this. Now, after we're done actually studying, I want us to play a game."

I saw the wicked gleam flash in his obsidian eyes, and my breathing hitched in my throat, "What kind of a game?" I breathed.

He kissed me quickly and pulled away. "Oh, the kind where we play cards and if I win, I get to do what I want to with you. You win, you get to have me at your mercy. Fair?"

I blushed. "Usually, muggles play poker for that kind of thing."

"You play?"  
"Yep. My dad taught me."  
"Cool. My Uncle Lucius taught me. But it helps to be a legilimens, I guess," He winked.

I put my hands on my hips. "That's cheating!"

"Not to a Slytherin, love," He said, jotting down some history of magic notes. "We always try to find an advantage that best suits us."

"Fine, fine, you've got me there."  
"Good. Let's finish this up."

We finished up writing our essays, and studying, and proofread our essays for grammar. I found it stimulating to be around another intellectual for a change. I love my friends, but man, could they be thick at times. Sebastian was the only one who didn't think my intelligence made me geeky, or weird, he embraced it instead. 

Sebastian did wandless magic, and a pack of playing cards flew to his hand. "Okay, no more studying, babe," He stood, and held out his hand. "Come on, let's sit on the bed and do this."

I thought back to my earlier misgivings and ignored them. I was an adult! I could do whatever the hell I wanted...within reason, of course. I took my fiance's hand, and we walked hand in hand to the bedroom. He lit the fireplace, and sat on the bed after taking off his shoes. He patted the space beside him. 

I took off my shoes, and sat across from him. "I'll deal, you sit and look cute," He said. He shuffled the cards, and we played for a little while, until I put out a bad card. Sebastian smiled. 

"You know what that means," He informed me. "Take off an article of clothing."

I removed my thigh high stockings. We continued to play, and each of us removed an article of clothing. I was down to my bra and panties, and he was shirtless. We had the final round, and I got four aces. 

"I won!" I laughed. "Strip."  
"You sure your virgin can handle it?" Sebastian teased. "Nope, you take off my pants, I insist."

"You just want me to touch your family jewels," I teased back. "Maybe I'll be disappointed with what I see in your pants."

"Oh, trust me, baby, no girl has ever complained about it before." I bit my lip, and unbuttoned his pants, and zipped him down. Sebastian took off his pants, and then underwear. My mouth went dry on seeing my fiance naked for the first time. Wow, just wow. He was not powerfully built, but as a Quidditch Keeper, he was built to be agile and quick. 

"Now, I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do, Hermione," Sebastian said softly, "But since I did oral on you last time, I think it's time you did the same."

I began stroking his long dick, and licked it up and down. Sebastian moaned as he grabbed the comforter below him. I felt a weird feeling of empowerment, knowing I could make him feel so good. I continued my explorations, and began to coat his cock with my saliva as I stroked him in turn. I began bobbing my head up and down as I picked up the pace. I then deep throated him as best as I could. 

Sebastian gently pushed my head against him, and gasped, "Don't stop, love. That feels...so fucking good." 

I gently grasped his balls as I sucked him off. Soon, I had him moaning and gasping my name. 

"Hermione...stop...I'm going to cum, baby," Sebastian breathed. I lifted my lips off of him, and he came on his stomach. He used his wand to clean himself off, and we kissed passionately as we explored and made out long into the night. We got perilously close a few times to actually have sex, but when I said I wasn't ready, he stopped. 

We took a shower together, and it must have been late, because the alarm clock by the bed said it was about midnight. Sebastian found me a shirt to sleep in, and we cuddled until we fell asleep together. It was one of the best night's sleep I had in a long time. But after hearing about Draco's exploits on Sebastian's behalf, the Yule Ball was the only time we both got any peace...


	37. Chapter 37

Hermione

When September came and went my fourth year at Hogwarts, I realized that I had become of age, and it showed in subtle changes of my body: fuller breasts, more curves to my hips, but not to the point that I had a huge ass or anything. But with me having to now buy D cup bras, I felt a bit self conscious about being stared at by almost every wizard in the whole school. 

I set my shopping bags down at the sixth store Ginny, Luna, went to, and the Patil twins immediately began gushing about this or that dress. Everything looked way too revealing, and Ginny seemed self conscious, because of her poor family. I think she is embarrassed to come from such poverty, despite how much she loves her family. I found nothing that I liked, but Padma and Parvarti found matching saris that looked great on them.

Parvarti found a burgundy one, and she said, "Hermione, you gotta try this one on. I have always wanted to see at least one of you guys try one on."

Parma looked over at her sister, and said, "Um, Parv, this is a wedding sari, and it's like super expensive. Isn't it a little much?"

Parvarti laughed, "Well, she _is_ engaged. Besides, who cares if no one else understands the symbolism?"

Padma shrugged, and looked at me. "Your call, Mione.' I think you would look like a Princess in this, and look really unique, but you do you, no pressure."

I tried on the sari, and they helped me put it on. It was beautiful, but just not me. Then I found the dress. It was a blue, white ombre styled gown with a rather long train, a plunging neckline, but when I tried it on, I just had to have it.

  
I fell absolutely in love with it, and knew it would make a lovely, dramatic entrance. I turned around in it, and the skirts twirled wonderfully. I bought it, and had the nice shopkeeper witch send it to Hogwarts, and to send it to Gryffindor tower.

We bought our accessories, and we later relaxed at the local coffee and ice cream shop at Hogsmeade. Ginny bought a cute off the shoulder burgundy dress with a mermaid hemline. It looked very classy on her.

"I'm so jealous, Mione'! Especially, since you're going to be snatching one of the cutest guys in school soon," Ginny exclaimed. "Is Bastian' really staying on at Hogwarts after he graduates?"

"Yes, he's said at much," I replied, "He says that it's to protect Harry, and all that, but I think it's to keep me company."

My friends did a universal "Aww!"

I blushed and fiddled with my engagement ring, which of course, I couldn't take off. "Guys, stop! You're making my being engaged into this huge thing."

Ginny shook her head. "It _is_ a big deal, Hermione. And we're so freaking jealous, no joke. I wish Dean would get serious. All he ever does is talk about Quidditch. Does Harry do that, Luna?"

Luna, who had been quiet this entire time, looked up from her Quibbler article, and said dreamily, "No, Quidditch is not his life. Besides, I do not envy your stress levels, Hermione. OWLS, wedding planning, school, it's enough to drive anyone crazy. Does Sebastian help?"

I sighed. He certainly helped where he could, but beyond that last sexy study session, we barely had time for each other, and it made us stress out to each other at times. I suspect that's why he does Quidditch, as a stress reliever.

We finished our hot coffees and headed back up to the school, chatting all the way. My dress was waiting for me in a nice, fancy dress box. I decided to go down to the common room and do some more studying. Halfway through my arithmancy homework, my note journal glowed slightly, signaling that Sebastian wrote something to me: " _Are you still awake?_ "-- _H_

Me: " _Yeah, I'm really tired though." --H_

Sebastian: " _I just wanted to apologize for coming across as a real prick last weekend, these NEWT exams are really horrendous. Forgive me?"--S_

Me: " _Of course. OWLs are just dreadful. Your Aunt has backed off somewhat, but now she's bugging me for what China should we use at the reception. Ugh, doesn't she realize that I have more things to do than worry about shit like that?"--H_

Sebastian: " _I like the silver set the best. Just tell her that, I guess. Did you get your dress?"--S_

Me: " _Yep! It's beautiful, you will love it. I can't wait for you to see it."--H_

Sebastian: " _I can't wait too, either. But most of all, I'm looking forward to seeing you again. I love you, my Princess."--S_

I teared up at that, and smiled as I wrote: " _I love you too, my Prince. I will see you tomorrow." --H_

Sebastian: " _I will count the hours until then. Good night, love."--S_

Me: " _You too, love. You too."--H_

I closed the journal, and put it away. I got ready for bed and pulled the covers up over my head when I laid down. I heard a few snores in the dorm room, and wished for the quiet and peace of the Slytherin dungeons. It was a shame that I couldn't request a transfer. I slept fitfully, and tossed and turned all night, knowing that I would not rest easy until my OWLs were all finished, and I knew if I passed or failed my classes. But at the very least I would have a break with the Yule Ball tomorrow, and I intended to shine at last...


	38. Chapter 38

Sebastian 

I took a long time with my suit, and I wanted to look my best. Draco fixed my lopsided tie, and laughed, "Damn, cos, you look more nervous than before a Quidditch match."

I smiled, "Yeah. But I want this night to be perfect, you know, just me and Hermione out on that dance floor during a slow song. I just don't want to screw this up."

Draco scoffed, "Pfft! With all the dance training we've had? Piece of cake. You've got this, bro. I know you do. Now, go wow that girl."

"Thanks. Who are you going with?" I asked curiously.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Some Beauxbatons witch. Potter's taking the Delacour witch. She seems sweet on him, whatever. Who am I to judge? I thought he would go with Weaslette, actually."

"Me too. But let's not keep our dates waiting, shall we?" I asked. Draco rolled his eyes, and we set out for the Great Hall along with everyone else. Harry was chatting with Fleur Delacour, and Draco had gone off to meet his blonde Beauxbatons date. She was pretty, but kind of a slut, if I'm being perfectly honest. 

Then I saw Hermione come down the stairs in a strapless blue ombre ballgown that took my breath away. I couldn't breathe or even think straight as she looked at me. I smiled at her, and she smiled, her whole face lighting up. 

I bowed, and laid a gentle across her fingers. "You look beautiful, darling," I whispered in her ear, "A true vision of loveliness. I must be the luckiest wizard in the world right now."

Hermione looked me over and laughed, "You look quite handsome yourself."

The Great Hall doors opened, and the Tri-Wizard champions led their dates into the frost covered interior of the makeshift ballroom. I was glad that Harry's date knew how to dance, because otherwise he would have looked quite the fool. When it was time for everyone else to dance, Hermione and I were some of the first couples to dance. 

I twirled my fiancee, and she confessed, "Thank the gods, you know how to waltz. I don't have a clue."

"But you've said that you know how to dance," I pointed out.

"Yeah, ballet as a kid, beginners Pointe just before I got my Hogwarts letter," She spun back into my arms, her skirts swirling about her. "You?"

"Oh, personal teachers at the manor," I said, chuckling. "Oh, yes, poor, poor rich boy. Go ahead and say it."

She socked my arm. "I wasn't going to say that! Geez, I would hope dating Draco wouldn't be like this."

I gestured to Draco and his date. His date was trying her best to make out with him on the dance floor. "Want to trade?" 

"Oh God, no! I'd just as soon date Ron, and that's never going to happen," She said, glancing at Ron, who decided to take Lavender Brown to the ball. Well, they seemed a good match by the way they were bumping and grinding on the dance floor. We both laughed when McGonagoll broke them both up and took away House points.

When the dance was over, the orchestra was replaced with a wizarding rock band that sounded ridiculous. Apparently, it was popular with most of the school, and the younger kids were dancing to the awful magical lyrics. Hermione and I left the Hall, and decided to walk outside in the gardens. All of the flowers were frozen over, of course, but we didn't care. I draped my cloak over her bare shoulders, and sat next to her on one of the benches.

She laid her head on my right shoulder, and she said, "I feel like I'm too much of an adult with that noise they call music they're playing in the Great Hall."

I chuckled, "Yeah, me too. But I think it's also because we're courting, and we know that we're getting married. Childhood is basically over for us."

Hermione stood. "Well, let's have a snowball fight, no magic. Winner gets to rub the loser's feet."

I feigned a pout, "Like I would willingly lose. A Slytherin has their sense of pride, after all."

"Like I want to smell your stinky feet," Hermione teased, putting her hands on her hips. "You're not afraid of losing, are you?"

I rolled my eyes, "Never. You're so on, lioness. This snake is going to make you eat your words."

Hermione scooped up a snowball, and threw it towards me, which I ducked. We took off running, and tried to evade each other's cold snowballs. We giggled like little kids, and when Hermione eventually tripped over her dress, I pinned her down, and kissed her all over.

"Hey! No fair!" She laughed.  
She began tickling me, and we rolled around in the snow, laughing and trying to get the other to stop tickling the other. Finally, I pinned her arms above her head and claimed her mouth. She kissed me back, her tongue colliding with mine. 

I kneaded her breasts through her dress, and Hermione gasped, "Bastian'..."

"Hermione..."  
"Someone could catch us..."

I kissed down her neck, and nipped her left breast. "Yes, but you like the thrill," I rasped against her chest. "Tell me to stop."

"Wh...why?"  
"Mmm, so I can do this," I murmured, and pushed part of the top of her dress down, and took a breast out, and licked her nipple, flicking my tongue against it. I palmed the other breast, and suckled her captive breast.

"Bastian...Ohh...my...yes," She murmured, "That feels good."

I suckled the other breast, and felt myself get rock hard for her. Damn it! Reluctantly, I sat up and groaned. 

Hermione sat up, and pushed up her dress. "Sebastian? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine," I said, kissing her. "I just...um, have a little problem now, and since you want to remain pure or whatever--"

"I don't," Hermione cut in.  
"What?" I almost couldn't hear her explanation I was so shocked.

"I don't want to be a perfect bride," Hermione explained. "I mean, to be a virgin bride is what my parents taught me to be, but it's not necessarily what I want. I mean, I love you and we're already going to get married, so I don't see the point of waiting..." She blushed, and shyly looked away, "I mean, here are spells that can prevent kids, after all. If you want to, we can."

I kissed her, "I'm deeply touched, Hermione. But I want to graduate before we think about sex. When we're both not so busy, we will make love. Does that work for you?"

Hermione nodded. "But what about your um...problem?"

I laughed. "Oh, we're taking care of that right now. I know of a bathroom around here for just that purpose. Come on."

I led her out of the castle gardens, and to the boys bathroom I knew of and as soon as we entered the room, I pinned Hermione to the wall and crashed my lips to hers. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I pressed my erection between her legs. Hermione gasped at the sensation, and at first I didn't think she would blow me, but she surprised me by unzipping my fly and began stroking my cock. 

I moaned, "Damn, witch. Don't tease, put that hot little mouth on me."

Hermione winked wickedly, and began to lick up and down my length. I shivered with pleasure, cumming slightly. She licked it up, and began to bob her head up and down as she sucked it in earnest. Instinct took over as I moved my hips to fuck her mouth thoroughly. I closed my eyes, moaning as my fiancee's mouth engulfed my cock whole, deep throating me like a professional. 

"Hermione..." I gasped, "Baby, I'm going to cum..."

But she winked at me and I released, nearly blacking out with the pleasure. She took my cock out of her mouth, and she went to the sinks to clean herself up.

"How was it?"

  
_Um, it was perhaps the best godsdamned blow job I have ever had in my life. No joke._ "It was perfect, love, really," I said truthfully. "You really didn't have to let me cum in your mouth though."

"Oh, it's okay," She reassured me, "I wanted to try it. It tasted salty, but not too bad. I know it's kind of a slutty thing, but I'm not ashamed of doing things like this with you."

I felt immense relief at that. "Seriously, though, as hot as that was, you don't have to do that, baby. Let's get back to the ball before they send out a search party."

Hermione frowned, "What about _my_ little problem?"

I laughed, and winked, "Oh, I'll be doing that in a better setting, I promise. It won't be here in a bathroom."

"Oh, okay."

  
She linked her arm through mine, and we danced, and socialized until the dance was over. During the final dance, we shared a passionate kiss under the mistletoe, and we parted at the entrance to Gryffindor tower the same way as well. All in all, it was a successful night, and when I went to bed that night, I dreamed that Hermione and I got it on on every surface of my quarters in my bedroom at Malfoy Manor...


	39. Chapter 39

Harry

It was just after the Easter holiday that the third and final task of the Tri-Wizard tournament was announced. Harry was not looking forward to it, and the other champions weren't either. Throughout this entire ordeal, the Boy Who Lived felt very much alone. Ron was off doing couple stuff with Lavender Brown, Hermione and Sebastian were wrapped up in OWLs like everyone else, but they were also planning a wedding, and were wrapped up in the Malfoys a lot, because they wanted to get married at Malfoy Manor. Harry had Fleur, of course, but only privately, because they couldn't date openly while the tournament was going on.

Snape seemed busy with doing whatever it was he did for Dumbledore, and growing increasingly more annoyed with the wizarding press in regards to his son having a 'scandalous affair,' with Hermione Granger. It was ridiculous, because unless you lived under a rock, it was common knowledge that Hermione and Sebastian Prince were very exclusive, and a symbol of school House unity coming to the fore. 

Harry often found them holding hands and laughing at private jokes only they understood, while wearing their school uniforms; it was a good symbol of hope to see, so he supposed that Dumbledore allowed it. Still, this did not deter the Slytherins from wearing their awful Potter Stinks badges in support of Cedric Diggory, the true Hogwarts champion.

Fleur sat with him at the Gryffindor table with her younger sister Gabrielle, and she asked, " 'Arry, what's wrong? It's not your friend or brother is it?"

"No, it's this last task," He confessed, picking at his morning porridge. "I suspect it's going to be one of the worst ones yet. You know, save the best for last kind of thing?"

Fleur cut a delicate slice of pancake, and ate it slowly. "I've been thinking exactly the same way, and I'm sure Viktor 'as as well."

The owls arrived with the news, and Hermione nearly shrieked as she read The Daily Prophet, "...that scheming, spying BITCH!! Is there nowhere _private_ in this entire, godforsaken school?!" 

Sebastian was instantly by her side, comforting her, and Harry couldn't understand what he said to her, but Hermione broke down in sobs, and Harry saw Professor Snape head over to them since the couple had gained the attention of everyone in the school.

Fleur put her hand to her mouth in shock. "Mon Dieu! 'As the woman no shame whatsoever?! 'Arry, this is bad, very bad. I think you should take a look at this."

Harry saw Snape lead a traumatized Hermione out of the Great Hall, and Sebastian gave the entire Slytherin table a scathing glare very reminiscent of his father, and turned to follow his father and fiancee out of the Great Hall after gathering their book bags. He read the article that was making the entire school gasp with shock:

A SCANDALOUS TRYST  
By: Rita Skeeter

_As your friendly, neighborhood seeker of the truth in all the lives of famous witches and wizards, no event has been more juicy, or shocking than this one._

_Hermione Granger, while I have been incorrect in her romantic interest between Harry Potter and Viktor Krum, I have discovered, quite by accident, I assure you, of one Sebastian Prince, the Slytherin Quidditch Keeper, and her in some filthy bathroom performing oral sex on the handsome Quidditch player._

_A very good source tells me that Miss. Granger has been known to 'make the rounds,' so to speak, and her so-called virginal appearance is not to be trusted. I have been told that Miss. Granger will do everything under the sheets for the right amount of galleons._

_One can only hope that whoever wins the Tri-Wizard tournament doesn't win only the prize money and cup itself, but also a trip to St. Mungo's to remove anything Miss. Granger might be carrying. And to think that this reporter has seen everything!_

_Rest assured, my rabid readers, I will get to the bottom of this by the time this tournament is over with. Until then, I look forward as to who will win this history making tournament as much as any of you. Rita Skeeter signing off for now..._

Harry set aside the slanderous article with disgust, and pushed away his porridge, his appetite completely shattered. He found it no wonder why Hermione reacted the way she did. 

Hermione showed up for Herbology after lunch, and looked a bit ashen faced but coping much better than during breakfast. She took notes, and barely said more than a few words, which was completely unlike her. 

"How are you holding up?" He dared to ask after class. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Even if you and Sebastian got crazy in a bathroom--"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, and slapped him, hard. "Was it _you_ , Harry? Were you the one who somehow peeked in on me and Sebastian that night? Because if you were, so help me God, I will hex you to oblivion, I swear!"

"No, no! Gods, Hermione! I would _never_ do that," Harry said, tearing up, "Don't you know that I think of you like the sister I should have had? I would never _ever_ frame you like that."

Hermione relaxed, and shook her head. "I believe you. I'm so sorry for slapping you, Harry. But it was like she was there with us! There was no one there to watch us make out, no one, except I heard..." She trailed off, and gasped. "Harry! _Skeeter_! I heard a mosquito sound in the bathroom that night, but most mosquitoes can't possibly survive in the cold weather, unless--"

"They're an animagus!" Harry concluded happily. 

Hermione laughed, "Exactly! Oh, this is wonderful! I'm going to go tell Professor Snape right away!" She surprised him by kissing his cheek, and running off back to the castle. 

By the end of the evening, Hermione seemed to be in much better spirits, but that did not lessen his anxieties about this last task in the tournament, because win or lose, there was still the question of who put his name into the Goblet of Fire, and why. He had a very bad feeling that he would know the answer to that question sooner or later...


	40. Chapter 40

Harry

Dumbledore finished his announcement to the crowd, and when the headmaster huddled around them, Harry felt like he had a very, very bad feeling about this last task.

"Now in the maze," Dumbledore explained, "You will find no dragons, or creatures of the deep. You see, people change in the maze. Oh, find the cup if you can, but beware you do not lose yourself along the way. Good luck."

Harry watched as Krum and Cedric Diggory went into the huge hedge labyrinth before them after Cedric said his fond farewells to his father. He couldn't imagine what both father and son were going through, but he knew that they must have been worried sick. He looked up into the stands to see Hermione and Sebastian looking at him encouragingly. He nodded back at him. 

Fleur stood beside him, and said, "I'm scared 'Arry. What if we don't make it out of this? What if the traps in there kill us, and...and it will all be for like nothing?"

Harry took her by the hand and pulled her away from the eyes of the crowd. "Well, if that happens, can...can I kiss you for good luck, Fleur?"

Fleur blushed, and nodded her head shyly. He stepped forward, and cupped her face with his hands as he kissed her. Fleur moaned into his mouth as she kissed him thoroughly.

Reluctantly, she let him go, and cleared her throat, "I...um, we should go inside. But if we make it out of this, we should talk."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, um, sure, that would be great..."

Fleur drew away from him, and Moody found him, and wordlessly dragged him to a section of the hedge labyrinth he had not noticed until now. Just as the hedge closed behind him, Moody pointed his index finger to the right as a clue as to where he should go. He wasn't about to second guess a teacher's insight, so he went that way. 

As the maze closed in about him, the entire area around him turned dark and gloomy around him. "Lumos," He cast with his wand. The glow from the tip of his wand helped, but it didn't ease the thick fog rolling in, or the distinct creepy feeling that creatures were in this place with him.

"It's just a game, Harry," He said aloud, "Just a game. Now get that cup and stop whining about it."

With that little pep talk over, he felt able to continue. He made a few turns through the hedges, and heard Fleur scream. He took off in the direction of her screams, and saw her body impaled in the thorns of the hedges, her blood splattered everywhere. What the fuck?? 

Viktor Krum came running his way, and nearly stunned him if Cedric Diggory didn't put up a shield charm first. "Stupify!" Cedric cast.

Viktor went flying back fifty feet, and creepy roots from the hedge maze got him. Cedric grabbed him before the thorns from the hedges could reach out and impale them.

"Th-thanks," Harry stammered.  
"Don't mention it," Cedric said. "Where's Fleur?"

Harry shook his head, tears coming to his eyes, "The thorns got her. She's...there's blood everywhere."

Cedric nodded, "I'm sorry, man. Some game, huh?"

"Yeah, some game," Harry agreed. "Well, what do you say we get that cup together?"

Cedric wiped at his sweaty, dirty face. "Yeah, House unity and all that rot. Come on!"

The hedges pushed the two young wizards this way and that as they then saw the glowing Tri-Wizard cup at the center of the labyrinth. Cedric nodded to him, and he nodded back, understanding the unspoken message: we're doing this as a team.

They ran and grabbed a hold of the Tri-Wizard cup, but before either wizard could savor their victory, both of them were pulled into wherever the port key was taking them. Little did they know that it would take them right into the snake pit, and it would give them a front row seat to witness the resurrection of Lord Voldemort come back to the land of the living once again...


	41. Chapter 41

Sebastian

Hermione began to get restless by my side after three hours went by and we had not seen hide or hair of my brother. I looked at my father, and he said, "I'm being called."

I looked at his arm, and my eyes widened. "What can we do, dad?"

My father raised an eyebrow. "Do? Why, you are going to go to the lab, you and Miss. Granger to brew some veritaserum. Do _not_ interfere with what I have to do. Do you understand, Sebastian?"

"Yes, but dad, please be careful."  
"I will be," My father promised. 

I hugged him, and Hermione surprisingly hugged him too. My father kissed the top of her head, and left us. " _Take care of her, do you understand?"_ He demanded of me, mentally.

I nodded, and took Hermione's hand. "Let's go. I have no idea where the Dark Mark sent him, but I have a feeling that Harry will be there."

Hermione agreed, "Agreed. But it's not like your dad to keep us out of the action. He seemed really worried. He's never been this protective of me before. I always thought he hated me."

I laughed, "I imagine you being my fiancee has something to do with it. Be flattered, Slytherins don't reveal their hearts to those unworthy of them."

"I am, but I'm worried about him," Hermione confessed, "I've grown to think of him as like my second dad while my real one can't be here for me, being a muggle. Is...that's not weird is it, Bastian?"

I kissed her cheek, "No, of course not. I'm sure my dad feels the same way deep down inside. Now, let's go, truth serum can be tricky to make, and I have a feeling we will need to brew a good batch by the time this night is over."

We found our way to the potions lab, and we immediately began brewing, knowing we were on a tight time schedule. We only spoke except to exchange ingredients, and bottles. The process took an hour, and we were exhausted when we started to clean up the lab to its pristine, immaculate standards as my father demanded. I set out the veritaserum where I knew my father would find it, and locked the door behind us, and put up the protective wards to keep thieving students out of it.

We headed to the Slytherin common room, and I gave the password to the portrait. "Getting in a bit early, are we not, Master Prince?" Salazar Slytherin inquired.

"Yeah, we're pretty tired, soo--"  
"With a Gryffindor?"  
I rolled my eyes, "We're engaged, Slytherin, so relax."

"Humph! In my day, such ladies were chaperoned always," Slytherin remarked, opening up the door. "But do go in, what happens in Slytherin stays in Slytherin."

I chuckled at that, and fished out my dorm key, and opened the door. Hermione took off her outer cloak, and stood by the fireplace for warmth. I poured us both some wine, and wrapped my free hand around her waist.

"A knut for your thoughts?" I asked, kissing her temple. 

Hermione sighed, "I'm just worried about Harry and your father. What if Voldemort kills either one of them? It's not like Dumbledore has a back-up potions master to teach your dad's classes, and Harry...if we lose Harry, we lose everything."

I handed her her wine glass, and sighed, "Can we play devil's advocate for a second?"

"Okay," Hermione sipped her blush wine. "Wow, this is good. I didn't think students were allowed alcohol."

I shrugged, "Call it an advantage of being a teacher's child. Come sit on the bed with me, and let's ruminate for a bit. It might help us put things into perspective."

Hermione kicked off her shoes, and sat on the bed. I took off my shoes, and we nursed our wine for a bit. "Can I start?" She asked.

"Please."  
"Say your dad gets killed. Would Dumbledore have another teacher on standby?" 

"Professor Slughorn," I suggested, "He taught here when the Dark Lord was a student here. But my father recommended Master Phareon to replace him, should his service as a spy ever take his life. My inheritance is covered, so I'm good there, but I'll have to attend Luder's Potions Academy to begin my certification to be a potions master, obviously. But say my brother dies, tonight or at any given time before this war is over. I give out the suggestion that he is just one wizard. There would be others to fight in his stead, and Harry dies a martyr."

Hermione wiped at her tears bitterly, "But then the prophecy of neither one living while the other survives would still hold true. Voldemort would still die if he kills Harry. But before that, he would try to recruit you, Sebastian, and you know it. I'm honestly scared that he will try with Draco Malfoy if he should get resurrected tonight."

I drained my wine, and set it aside on the nightstand. Hermione drank hers, and I got out a black robe, and a matching one for her. She blushed when she saw it. 

"Then let's not think about such extraneous details tonight," I reasoned, "Come on, we're going to have a bath."

"A...a b-bath?" Hermione stammered, "I...um, Bastian' don't you think that's a little weird? We have relatives that could be dying out there and--"

"Exactly, and we need to relax," I said, taking her by the hand, "Come on, I promise I won't do anything to you you don't want me to, alright?"

"Okay..."

✂---------

Hermione

I felt a bit silly being so modest still around Sebastian, but I did. He got out some candles, and lit them with his wand. The huge, beautiful bathroom was lit with a nice, romantic glow as he filled the tub. I watched him undress to his slacks, and my cheeks went red looking at his perfect, lean chest and muscles. He came up behind me, and he swept aside my bushy hair, and nipped my neck, as his hands traveled over my breasts, down my waist, and beneath my skirt as he cupped my pussy with his hand. 

"Bastian..." I breathed. "Mmm...undress me."

He chuckled in my hair, and licked along my earlobe, "Are you sure?" He teased, "What about your worries?"

I pushed his hand against my panties clad pussy, "Oh, I'm still worried, but I'm willing to overlook that in favor of us tonight."

"Us, babe?"  
"Mm hm."   
"Are you sure, Hermione?"  
I turned to face him, and slipped my panties off on to the floor. "Yes, I think it's time," I decided.

Sebastian crashed his lips against mine, and we undressed each other. We got into the tub, and as we kissed and explored one another, I felt a sharp pain fill me as I wrapped my legs around him. He was big, and I cried out from the feeling of this foreign entity filling my most intimate of spaces. 

"Are you okay?" He asked hoarsely. 

"Yes, please keep going," I whispered. He had me sit on the edge of the tub, and as he thrust in and out of me, my body soon grew used to the feel of him inside of me, and I was soon moaning and gasping in pleasure. I don't know how long we made love, but it was damned near all night long, and we ended up in bed together, still connected by the end of the evening, but by that time, much had changed in the wizarding world around us forever...


	42. Chapter 42

Severus

A part of the potions master didn't want to care about the welfare of Lily's son. He had his son safe behind the walls of Hogwarts, and if he knew his son well, and he did, the boy would be well occupied with his witch by the time the evening was done. But he also knew that Harry Potter meant something to his son, and so he went to the place the Dark Mark tattoo guided him. He was going to do this for his son, and for no other reason than that. 

As soon as his dragon hide boots touched down on terra firma, he looked around and saw that the meeting place was at the gravesite of Tom Riddle Sr, on the old Riddle property. If ever there was a more cliche place for the deatheaters to meet, this was certainly the place. 

He was dressed like any of the deatheaters that arrived with his bronze mask over his face, and some were chanting over a bubbling cauldron as Wormtail led the chant of bones of the father, blood of the enemy, a sacrifice of the willing servant, blah, blah, blah. In his youth, he might have been fascinated with such silly incantations, and wand waving. But he was here for Harry Potter, and nothing more.

Harry Potter was being held by a rather impressive grim reaper statue that was part of Tom Riddle Sr's monument. He was also screaming as Wormtail took the boy's blood from a cut on his jeans. Off in the distance, Severus could see the Diggory boy lying dead, and blessedly unaware of the macabre events around him. Wormtail tossed in the last of the blood that was needed for the dark ritual, and remarkably, he could feel the pulse of dark magic as the cauldron melted away, leaving behind a levitating embryo going through a rapid growth process until the figure became noticeably a man-like shape, and then the gaunt, pale snake-like creature that was known as Lord Voldemort. 

The figure stood, and black robes were placed on this man by Wormtail. When Voldemort got used to his new body, he looked out over his followers, and then faced him. 

"Ah, Severus," Voldemort remarked, his red eyes shining with cold hate, "You did come as summoned. That is good, very good, indeed. I was almost concerned that you would not, unlike most of you so called followers of mine."

Severus knelt at Voldemort's feet, though he felt it was demeaning to do so. "I come when summoned, my Lord," He said in as obedient a voice as he dared. "To what do I owe this great honor?"

"Suck up," McNair muttered darkly. 

Voldemort turned to face McNair, and cast with his bone white wand, "Crucio!"

The man screamed and writhed on the floor, until Voldemort ended the spell. "Ah, yes, that's much better," The dark wizard said more calmly, "I do so hate being interrupted. Now, then, it has been thirteen years since my last resurrection, and yet everything has changed. So many of you did not try to find me, and yet there have been more signs of my return than ever before."

"I returned," Wormtail pointed out. 

Voldemort scoffed, "Out of fear, not loyalty. Still, you have proven yourself useful these past six months."

Voldemort gave Peter Pettigrew a new metal hand. Severus wanted to scoff at the traitor's pathetic gratitude towards the despot. If he had been in Voldemort's place, he would have killed the turncoat to demonstrate to his followers that defectors would not be accepted within his ranks.

  
Harry was crying, and Voldemort sighed, "Ah, Harry. I had almost forgotten that you were here for my little resurrection party. Aw," Voldemort stepped over Cedric Diggory as one would a log in a forest, "Such a handsome boy. Pity he had to tag along as your third wheel. Well, no matter, you soon will be joining your friend, I believe."

"Stay _away_ from him!" Harry cried, trying to get past the enchanted statue, only it held him as tightly as a lover.

"Everyone, do witness as I lay a finger upon him," Voldemort boasted, and when his finger tip grazed Harry's lightning bolt scar, it began to sizzle and burn. Voldemort hissed as he drew his finger back, cradling it against his chest.

"What is the _meaning_ of this?? That magic should have died with that mudblood mother of his!" Voldemort shrieked.

Severus smirked, "That mudblood was my wife, _freak_. And he is as much my son as my biological one."

Before Voldemort could strike down the dour wizard, he stunned the Dark Lord, and freed Harry Potter. Harry reached for his wand, and shouted, "The cup is a port key, Professor! We have to get to it before it's too late!"

"No, we're getting out of this together...son," Severus said, "Cover me."

Harry's green eyes widened at being called his son, but he nodded his head, acknowledging it. They faced off against the deatheaters, and Severus noticed Lucius Malfoy break off from the others.

"Come to join the party, brother?" Severus quipped.

"Someone has to save your skin, little brother. Now, go, get you and your son out of here, I'll deal with these pricks," Lucius put up a shield charm within seconds of getting blasted with a killing curse.

Severus felt sick leaving behind the closest thing to a brother he would ever have. "I can't leave you, Lucius."

Lucius glared at him, "Go! If I don't make it, you'll know what to do, I have the instructions in my desk."

Severus swallowed past the lump in his throat. He understood. "Thank you, brother."

Lucius nodded, and Severus picked up Cedric Diggory's body before they disapparated back to the makeshift stadium just on the border of the Hogwarts grounds. People began to scream when they saw Cedric Diggory's body. The jovial mood of the crowd was immediately silenced when Diggory's father tried to wrench the dead wizard boy out of Severus's arms in his grief.

"Mr. Diggory, it's alright," Dumbledore said soothingly, "Professor Snape will take good care of your son."

"He better," The man murmured, and then said louder, "You better, sir, or I'll have your job."

If the situation were not so serious, Severus would have laughed. "I assure you that I will treat him as if he were my own son, Mr. Diggory."

Mr. Diggory looked at Harry, and looked shocked, "Mr. Potter...he's your son??"

"Stepson," He corrected the grief stricken wizard, "His mother was my wife before she passed on."

"Of course, of course," The man agreed. "May we use your medical ward, Headmaster? I need to see him before he is examined by the healers."

"Of course, Mr. Diggory," Dumbledore said, and the father picked up his son and the headmaster, and potions master watched as the father and son left for the medical ward.

"Harry, if you could go back to your common room, Professor Snape and I need to confront a wolf in sheep's clothing," Dumbledore ordered kindly.

"Yes, sir," Harry said, looking at him awkwardly, and giving him a hug. He hated the twinkle of amusement in Dumbledore's blue eyes as he hugged Potter back. He murmured that they would talk some other time, and when the boy was gone, Dumbledore smiled, a tear streaming down his face.

"Don't say it, old man."  
"I was only going to say that you're a good father, Severus," Dumbledore grinned, "I never thought you would think of claiming Harry as your own son when you have Sebastian as your biological one."

He smoothed his black hair out of his eyes, "Is my personal life really that much of an interest for you?"

"I merely ask why."  
Severus shrugged, "He's my wife's son. I don't care if he was born of violence, he's still my son."

Dumbledore nodded, "I have never known the joy, nor had the leisure of fatherhood myself. Alas, too late."

"Are we going to prattle on all day, or catch this deatheater that has infiltrated the school?" He demanded.

"You're quite right, lead the way, Severus," Dumbledore agreed, following him to Mad Eye Moody's personal quarters. Moody was frantically trying to take more polyjuice potion, but was panicking, and in quite the hysterical state.

"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore shouted, and forced Mad Eye Moody into a nearby chair.

Severus took out some veritaserum that Sebastian had made in the lab earlier. He poured it down the wizard's throat, and the wizard began to twitch and shake in a fit.

"Are you Alastor Moody?" Dumbledore asked.

"No," The wizard replied.  
"Is he in this room?!"  
The wizard twitched as he tried to lie, "Y-yes!" He squeaked.

"Where?"  
"Treasure..chest."

Severus sniffed the flask Moody always drank from, and remarked, "Polyjuice potion."

"Well, now we know who was stealing from your stores, Severus," Dumbledore remarked.   
The polyjuice potion wore off completely to reveal...Barty Crouch Jr. He wasn't completely surprised, but it was an interesting choice for the despot to send in another deatheater to teach Defense Against The Dark Arts. He found it then no wonder why he was so good at teaching the basics to the students.

"Hello, traitor," Crouch Jr said, flicking his tongue like a snake. "But no matter, the Dark Lord is back, and he'll have your head put on a spike before this war is done with."

Severus punched Crouch Jr in the face, knocking him out. Dumbledore merely chuckled. Inside of the treasure chest, which had an undetectable extension charm on it, sat the real Mad Eye Moody.

After helping the ex auror out of the chest, Severus said, "May I retire, now? There is a glass of firewhisky with my name on it."

"Go, and thank you for your assistance," The Headmaster said. Severus glared at him, and left the small, cramped room for his own quarters. After downing his fourth glass of firewhisky, he gave a salute to his fireplace portrait of Lily beside him at their wedding.

"Congratulations, Lily," He said aloud, "It's as you always wanted: me to raise both your sons equally. Okay, _our_ sons. I hope I'm making you and Rose proud. Tell her daddy says hello, and he loves her."

He cried, collapsing on to the rug beneath him. He was soon out like a light, and just like many, many other nights after a stressful mission, the magically induced alcohol removed his demons, if only temporarily in order to cope with life as he knew it. A new year was upon them all, and there was no telling what was going to be the fallout of these last few months for them all. But one thing Severus Snape did know was that a second wizarding war was brewing, and they all had to be ready when it did...

The End


End file.
